You Found Me
by E. Limberg
Summary: Mac and Stella catch a serial rapist, and he threatens Stella while they are interrogating him. When he escapes, will Mac be able to reach Stella before he does? MS later. Song belongs to The Fray. Rating may go up later due to content/subject.
1. A Disturbing Threat

**You Found Me**

**Chapter 1: A Disturbing Threat**

_I found God_

_On the corner of First and Amistad_

Stella enters the interrogation room and takes a seat across from the suspect; Mac follows, choosing to stand behind her. "Mr. Stoneberg, we matched your DNA to the DNA we found in four different rape victims. Would you care to explain?"

He smiles, "I'm a popular guy."

"We believe we have put together all the pieces; there's just one thing missing. Where do you take them after you abduct them?"

"That's for me to know. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll get to find out…" he winks at her, but her gaze does not falter.

"Enough," Mac yells, not able to bear the sight of this creep flirting with his best friend. "Tell us where you kept them."

The man ignores the detective and turns back to Stella, "I'd be more than willing to show you… if you aren't afraid."

"Why would I be afraid of you? You're just a big coward."

His gaze is icy for a minute before it softens. "Sassy. Just the way I like my women." Smiling, he reaches across the table to put his hand on top of Stella's.

His skin is only in contact with hers for a nanosecond before Mac shoves the table into the suspect's stomach, making him jerk back in pain. "Keep your hands off of her," he warns.

"Does she enjoy it?" he asks the older detective. When he doesn't receive an answer, he continues, clarifying his question. "Do you satisfy all her needs? Somehow I can't image her enjoying herself in bed with someone like you."

Stella remains silent, letting her boss take the lead. "We are not dating."

"You don't have to be in order to be sleeping together." He turns his attention back to Stella, "As soon as the judge releases me because of the lack of evidence against me, I'm coming for you. And if you ever want to see him again, just remember that I don't mess around."

Mac looks over at his partner, and together they stand up. "Lock him up," he orders, leading Stella out of the room with a hand on her back. They walk a short distance down the hallway before he pulls her over to the side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mac. He's going to be in prison for a long time; he can't follow through with his… threat."

"He didn't hurt you?"

"He didn't have time to. As soon as he laid his hand on me, you shoved the table into his stomach."

He gently places his hands on her upper arms as she begins to sway, "Stella… I really don't think you're okay."

"Now that you mention it… I don't feel so good. My head hurts, and I'm really tired," she runs a hand through her hair.

He presses one of his hands against her forehead; it is warmer than normal. "You should go home and get some rest; on second thought, I'll have Don drive you to your apartment. Hopefully whatever it is won't last long. I'll stop by later and check on you."

"Okay," she agrees, leaving only because she knows she won't be much help in this state.

He walks her down the hallway to Flack's desk before the two men get her into the car. "Just… be careful, Stella."

"We got him, Mac; he's not going to hurt me," she whispers, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "See you later."

Flack drives Stella to her apartment is silence. When he stops outside the door, he gets out to help her, deciding Mac would want him to walk her up to make sure she gets there safely. He stays outside her door as she walks in. "I can stay if you want me to," he offers, noticing the odd way she is clutching the door.

"No, you go back to work. It's probably just the flu or something; I'm sure I'll be back at work tomorrow or the next day."

"Okay. Mac said straight to bed," he reminds her with a small smile. "Call if you need anything."

**You Found Me**

Three hours later Mac's cell phone rings while he is processing another scene. "Taylor," he answers, stepping away from the body.

"Mac, he escaped from his cell. We don't know how he did. But officers were sent to his house, his work, and everywhere else we know he went to."

"He won't be there. He wouldn't tell us where he takes the women after he kidnaps them; he has to be there."

"Do you have any idea where this place is?"

"No. That's why we asked him. But all he said was that he'd show her if she was lucky… Don… how long ago did they discover that he was gone?"

"Twenty minutes or so. Why?"

"He threatened Stella." Mac shuts his phone and jogs to his car, determined to get to Stella before Mr. Stoneberg does.

**A/N: So I just finished writing this story this morning. It has twenty-six chapters so I hope you all stay with it until the end. I think I'm going to let you guys decide when I update... I'm hoping to get around seven reviews for each chapter. Maybe more when it ends with an exciting cliff. So... I'll probably update Tuesday if I haven't gotten the seven reviews yet. The sooner you review, the sooner you'll get an update. So please make me happy by reviewing and I will make you happy in return... or maybe you won't be happy with what happens... Anyway, I might up the rating later due to the content. I don't want to tell you if something happens to her later on or not, but if it does happen, I do not go into great detail. I'm just not sure if I should rate it M since it deals with rape. Well... I hope you enjoy it so far.**


	2. Buying for Time

**Chapter 2: Buying for Time**

_Where the west_

_Was all but won_

Stella is awakened by the sound of loud and impatient knocking on her door. She eases herself into a sitting position, her muscles weak and exhausted. Clutching the wall, she slowly makes her way to the door, wondering why Mac didn't open the door with his key if he was in such a hurry.

"Mac, why didn't you just use your key?" she asks, opening the door. When the man turns around to face her, she jumps back in surprise, almost falling over in the process.

"Hello, Stella," he smiles cynically at her.

She pushes the door shut with all the strength left in her, but before she can get it locked, he has opened it. "I thought you were in jail."

"I got out." He lunges at her, knocking her over. On the way to the ground, her forehead hits the table she has in the entranceway, making a gash. Blood begins to pool on her floor.

"Mac will get here before you can hurt me; he has to know that you're missing."

"I don't plan on hurting you here," he leans down and grabs her by the wrist and pulls her to her feet. "I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it."

Stella tries to punch him on the side of the head, but he grabs her hand. Needing time, she begins talking, "Why do you do this to innocent women? Can't you find a girlfriend? Or is it more enjoyable to torture women before you rape them?"

"The innocent ones are more fun. No, I've killed all my girlfriends. And yes, it is more satisfying. No matter how many questions you ask, Taylor is not going to get here to save you," he puts both of her wrists in one hand and grabs her handcuffs off the table she hit her head on. Too weak to fight, she lets him handcuff her wrists. "What, you're just going to give up? I thought one of New York's finest would put up a better fight."

"Doesn't that make it easier for you?"

Letting go of her, he shrugs, "It's not as fun."

As he turns to head further into her apartment, she sticks her foot out, tripping him. He falls flat on his face. When he turns to face her, blood pouring from his nose, Stella smiles, "Just thought I'd make it more fun for you."

Angered, he gets to his feet and grabs her by the arm, pulling her into the kitchen. Within three minutes he has bound her feet together with the shoelaces from her tennis shoes. He finds a washcloth and wipes the blood from her forehead and his nose before picking her up and carrying her down the back stairs into an alley. He shoves her into the back of his stolen SUV and climbs into the front.

As they pull away, Stella begins to panic. She had done her best to stall, but Mac hadn't shown up to rescue her. Did he even know that her kidnapper had escaped? What would he do if her dead body was found somewhere like those of the other women he had killed?

In the distance, she hears a police siren. They were too late, if they were even coming to look for her. Stella passes out, weak and dizzy.

**You Found Me**

Mac pulls out his gun as he approaches her door and finds it slightly ajar. He pushes it open, and the first thing he notices is the blood, not enough for whoever it belongs to to be dead, but it still worries him. "Stella," he calls out; no response comes.

Panic washes over him when he searches the whole apartment and doesn't find her. He pulls his phone out and calls Flack. "She's not here. That bastard's already come and taken her. I want every member of the NYPD working this case."

"We'll find her, Mac. I'll send Danny and Hawkes over to help you look for evidence of her attacker," Don hangs up.

Mac begins to look around, trying not to invade her privacy too much, given that they already knew who had her and probably would not find her location in the apartment. He starts with the door, noticing that it is not damaged, and therefore she must have let her attacker in. He ponders that fact for a minute, wondering why Stella would let someone she knew was after her inside. Then he recalls telling her that he would stop by later; she probably thought he was the one at the door and didn't check. He mentally yells at himself for this; if anything happens to her, he knows he won't be able to stop blaming himself.

"Why Stella? Why now when she can't defend herself?" Mac says aloud to no one in particular. "Please don't let him hurt her."

**A/N: So now Mac must find her... but will he be able to do it in time? Thanks for the reviews; I'm hoping to get at least six for this chapter and then I'll post the third chapter. Hm... I must find a good place to stop with a big cliff for when I go on vacation next week. Well, I must go work on my English homework. I have to write an essay for The Picture of Dorian Gray. I said I wasn't going to let myself start another book until I finished the essay so... Please send your reviews and I will update as soon as I can. Thanks.**


	3. Cold and Frightened

**Chapter 3: Cold and Frightened**

_All alone_

_Smoking his last cigarette_

"Nothing," Mac says, frustrated. "He's taken her, and we have no idea where he's headed. Son of a bitch." He paces her living room, furious at himself for letting her out of his sight.

Hawkes cautiously approaches his boss with Stella's shoes, "He took the laces. Why?"

"To tie her up with. She found shoes without laces at the other victims' apartments, and that's the only theory we came up with; we never found the laces though. They're probably wherever he's taking her."

"So he's following his MO," Danny says. "Sid put TOD at about a day before we found the bodies, right? And they had all been missing for four days when we found the bodies. That gives us three days to find her; we'll figure it out by then."

"How? We couldn't figure it out before we caught him. He refused to tell us. How are we supposed to find it now?" Mac asks, his voice rising.

Sheldon studies the table in the entranceway, frowning. "He used her cuffs. Everything else is here. Even her gun."

"Why the hell didn't she use it?" the boss asks. His cell phone interrupts his thoughts, "Do you have a lead, Don?"

"A car was reported stolen two blocks from the department; we think Stoneberg took it and headed to Stella's. I've got an APB out on the car and both of them. Did you guys find anything?"

"Nothing to lead us to her. Call all of the hospitals and give them descriptions of both of them; at least one of them was bleeding, and we think it was a head wound."

"Alright. Stella's strong, Mac; she'll find a way to keep herself alive until we find her."

**You Found Me**

The SUV jerks to a stop, and she hears the front door slam shut, the motor still running. A minute later the door slams again, and the car moves forward into the darkness. The motor is turned off, and she anxiously lies there, waiting for him to get her.

A few moments later, the door is opened, and she is lifted up into the darkness. As he walks, she hears his footsteps echo; the building must be large and empty. After almost a minute, he sets her down, and the ground beneath her, which she assumes is concrete, is cold; he leans her back to rest against a wall, whose makeup she can't distinguish.

The footsteps move away from her, and with a loud click, she is blinded by light. Once she is able to see again, she concludes that she is in an old, abandoned warehouse. Not very helpful considering there are many in New York City. Something beside her moves, and she immediately turns to face it. A scared, young woman is staring back at her, duct tape covering her mouth and her arms held above her head by chains.

Stoneberg approaches them, and the girl begins to whimper. Stella watches as he pulls the tape off of her mouth. "I'm sure you have many questions for her. I've got to run an errand; don't try anything stupid," he smiles, glancing to his side. Stella follows his gaze and sees a blinking red light, immediately recognizing it as the light of a video camera. Within a minute, the silver SUV is gone.

"What's your name?" Stella asks, her voice hoarse due to her sore, dry throat.

"Megan."

"I'm Stella; I'm a detective with the NYPD. Do you know where he keeps the keys?" she asks, eyes darting around the spacious room.

"On his key ring, which he keeps in his pocket."

"Has he… raped you?"

"Once. Are we going to die?"

Stella shrugs, "I don't know. How long have you been here?"

"I'm not sure; it feels like it's been years."

"Do you know what day it was before he took you?"

Megan thinks for a moment, "I think it was Saturday; I was putting on makeup for my date that night when out of nowhere I saw his reflection beside me in the mirror. I don't know what happened after that; I passed out, and I was here when I woke up."

"Today is Tuesday," Stella says, choosing not to tell her that he had killed all of his other victims after three days.

"Are you undercover?"

"No," Stella coughs.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are."

They hear a car motor outside and remain quiet as the SUV pulls back into the warehouse. Stoneberg comes over to them and inspects their bindings. "I see you didn't take any chances," he stares at Stella. A shiver runs through her body, not entirely due to his gaze. "Before I have fun with you, I have to deal with her. And since your friends took my keys…" he pulls out a knife, pointing it towards the chains binding Megan's hands.

**A/N: I'm hoping to get about seven reviews for this chapter before I update. I think I'll update again on Thursday. So... I still haven't done my English essay yet; I've got my intro done though. I really need to get it done. Well, please keep the reviews coming. Thanks.**


	4. DVDs and Blood

**Chapter 4: DVDs and Blood**

_I said, "Where you been?"_

_He said, "Ask anything"_

"This was just delivered for you, Detective Taylor," the receptionist at the lab hands him an envelope before she goes back to her desk.

He takes the package and studies the messy handwriting on the outside; not sure what it is, he opens it, finding a DVD in a case and a note, which he opens. _'Detective Taylor, I wanted to inform you of Stella's fate since I know that you love her. There is no way you will be able to change her future.' _There is a smeared bloodstain on the note, which he sets aside, anxious to see the video.

He puts the disk in his computer and finds that it is forty-five minutes long. After the first three minutes, he is no longer able to watch even though he has yet to figure out if the woman Stoneberg is torturing is Stella. Mac takes the disk out and grabs the letter before heading to Adam.

"Hey, boss. The blood you found next to the table belongs to… Stella. I'm working on the other sample now," Adam informs him.

"Stop working on that one for now; I need to know if this blood is Stella's," he hands the note to the lab tech.

Danny enters the lab, "Flack said they got a report that the stolen SUV was seen about fifteen minutes ago in northern Manhattan. He's got as many guys out looking for that car as he can."

"I want you to find Don and watch this video," Mac hands the younger detective the disk.

"What is it?"

"Homemade movie from Stoneberg. He's in it, and there's a woman, but I can't tell if it's Stella or not. I… can't watch it."

"Okay. We'll see if we can figure out if it's her or not. And if there's anything to give us a location." Danny places his hand on his boss' shoulder, "We're going to find her, Mac."

"I know we will. I just hope we're not too late."

Adam turns to Mac after Danny has left, "The other blood you found came from a male donor. I can run it against your suspect's when I finish this sample."

"Let me know as soon as you find out if it's Stella's," Mac says before leaving.

On the way back to his office, he spots Sheldon in one of the labs working on something. He decides to stop in, "Hey, Hawkes. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. What do you need, Mac?"

"I was wondering if you could give me some medical information. I sent Stella home…" he pauses, trying not to blame himself again, "because she wasn't looking well after we interrogated him. Do you think we could figure out what she has?"

"What were her symptoms?" Hawkes asks.

"She said her head was hurting, which was probably why she seemed a little dizzy. And she said she was exhausted. She was kind of pale, and her forehead was burning up when I touched her."

"Could be lots of things. Some serious, some not so serious."

"Worst case scenario?"

"Has she been exposed to anyone with mono recently? Most of the time it isn't too bad, but if she was kidnapped… she'll probably be dehydrated, and there's sometimes a risk of the spleen rupturing. She didn't complain about pain in her abdomen?"

"No."

"Mono would explain why her apartment wasn't trashed; I thought she would've put up a good fight against him, but if she is sick, she probably didn't have the energy to do so. Did Adam identify that blood in her apartment?"

"Yeah, one sample came back to Stella, and the other was from a male donor; I received a video and a note with blood on it, so I told Adam to run the latest sample to see if it's hers."

"What's on the video?"

"Him torturing some woman. There's not a good shot of her so… I don't know if it's…" he can't say her name for fear that it is her.

Hawkes thinks for a moment, "Do we still have a sample of her blood?"

"If there isn't any here, there's probably some dried on her floor. Why?"

"We can test for mono, or rather for the antibodies that fight it."

"Can Adam do it?"

"No. But I'd be glad to get a sample and take it over to the hospital; I've got some connections so… I'm sure they would do it for me if I explained the situation."

"Alright."

As soon as Hawkes is gone, Lindsay enters. "I know I should have come in as soon as I heard that she was gone but… I couldn't get someone to watch Lucy on such short notice. Danny's mom came over when she was available."

"It's okay, Lindsay. You're here now."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"You and I are going to go over all the information we have on Stoneberg and see if we come up with any leads on where he keeps these women he kidnaps."

**A/N: I was going to update earlier in the day but our internet and phone wasn't working. And then I had a Jurassic Park marathon, expect the video store didn't have the third one. I ordered it from the library; it'll probably come while we're on vacation... Anyway, I plan on updating again tomorrow if I get about seven more reviews for this chapter so get moving, people. And, sorry to say, but Lindsay is not a victim like Stella is so... Thanks for reading.**


	5. Empty Warehouses

**Chapter 5: Empty Warehouses**

_Where were you_

_When everything was falling apart?_

Mac and Lindsay study the map of the body dump locations that they had created. He pushes in pins at Stoneberg's apartment and work. "Flack said the SUV was seen in northern Manhattan, which would fit in with this map. He wouldn't travel too far to dump the bodies or from home. So we should be focusing around here," Mac makes a circle around the area concentrated with pins.

"And we've been through his credit cards and all his other accounts; he's not paying for this place. So… it's probably abandoned. Which doesn't narrow it down much."

"Pull up his credit card records for me," Mac requests. Lindsay does so. "Nothing new," he sighs.

"Which makes sense, right? They took his wallet in booking when he was arrested."

"Call Danny and see what they've gotten from the video. I want to have a team meeting in ten minutes to see what we know."

Ten minutes later all the chairs in the conference room are full, all except the one to the right of Mac, the one Stella usually sat in.

"Flack and Danny, what did you find out?" Mac asks.

Danny pulls out a few stills from the video, "We're pretty sure the woman isn't Stella unless he dyed her hair blonde and straightened it. We're trying to piece together the small pieces we have of her to get some sort of image to ID her with, but… it looks like he killed her in the end so we'll probably find the body pretty soon."

"I'm going to radio in when I know specific areas for them to focus on finding this car."

"And we believe they're in an abandoned warehouse; we didn't get much on location though. We've figured out that the video was taped three hours ago, but there was no sign of Stella on it."

"Lindsay, would you like to update them?"

"We've created a map showing where he's dumped all the bodies. There's nothing new on his credit cards. If you don't need me to do something else, Mac, I'd like to put our map into the computer and check the area for abandoned buildings, specifically warehouses if that's where we think she is right now," Lindsay reports.

"Okay. Adam?"

"The blood on the note didn't come from Stella. I don't know whose it is, but it didn't match her other sample. I'm running it through CODIS now, but… there probably won't be a match."

"Hawkes?"

"They said it should take a couple hours to get the results of the mono test. They'll call me when they know."

"Lindsay, work on getting the map onto the computer. Hawkes and Adam, I want you to go through missing person files to see if this girl in the video has been reported missing. Don, radio in and give them everything we know. Danny, stick with the video."

Without another word, Mac exits the room and heads to the elevators.

**You Found Me**

Stella shakes in terror as the SUV pulls back into the warehouse. Stoneberg gets out of the car and walks toward her, "You're friend is going to like that video. Perhaps we should make him another one, just so that he knows you're not dead yet. I haven't even begun to have fun with you."

She doesn't respond, her throat now too dry and sore for speech, and stares up at him, trying to hide her fear.

"You don't want to answer? Fine." He raises his hand and slaps her across the face. She doesn't have enough energy to even try to move to protect herself. "Maybe you'll change your mind by the time I get ready for you."

Stoneberg goes over to the table he had Megan on and undoes the restraints keeping her tied down to the table, not that she would move now even if she wasn't tied down. Stella twists her stiff neck as best as she can to watch as he brings a white sheet, one that is identical to the sheets found around the other four victims, over to the table and wraps her naked body up in it. He then carries her over to the car and stuffs her body into the trunk.

Stella barely registers his figure walking back toward her until she feels him touch her. He lifts her up, carrying her over to the table that was previously occupied by Megan. He unties her feet only to strap them down to the table to that she could not fight him off. Then he lifts her wrists up to study the cuffs, unsure of how to get them off. "I guess they'll have to stay on for now," he drops her wrists.

Her arms fall onto her stomach with a thump, causing a sharp pain in her side. She lets out a small yelp of pain.

He laughs, "It's going to get a lot more painful than that. Now, I've got to go get rid of this body. Don't try to escape while I'm gone." Before leaving, he inserts a new tape in the video camera and presses the record button.

**A/N: Hope everyone is having a good Fourth of July. I will update again tomorrow if I get about seven reviews for this chapter too. Thanks for reading.**


	6. Following the SUV

**Chapter 6: Following the SUV**

_All my days_

_Were spent by the telephone_

Mac drives out of the lab's parking garage and heads north, no idea where he is going, just that he needs to take a break. Unconsciously he drives until he ends up outside of Stella's apartment building. He looks up at her window, hoping to see her standing in it. Like every other window in the building, hers is dark. He longs to see her, to know that she is okay, that he hasn't violated her.

Pulling out his wallet, he removes the picture of her that he keeps there. Mac stares at her photo, willing it to speak and tell him where she is so that he could save her. No voice comes, no matter how much he wills it to. He must look away from her picture to keep from becoming too emotional; he is unable to fight of the thought that he may never see her alive again. After a few minutes pass, he looks back down at the photo in his hands. "I love you, Stella. And if I ever get the chance, I will tell you that to your face. Just please let her get through this so I can tell her," he whispers, placing the photo in the seat next to him.

Putting the car in drive, he heads toward the area where Stoneberg had dumped the bodies of the women he had tortured, knowing that he would have to dump this fifth body somewhere. Traffic is light, it being five o'clock in the morning.

After forty minutes of driving around, Mac's phone rings. "Do you have anything, Don?"

"The SUV was spotted again," he says, giving Mac the location. It happens to be a few blocks from where Mac is.

"What did you say the license plate was?" he asks, just in case he happened to find it. He writes it down on a piece of paper lying in his car. "Anything else?"

"Hawkes got the results back; she has mono. Lindsay is working on compiling a list of the abandoned warehouses in the area. We can't pinpoint a location yet."

"Okay. I'll be back in half an hour," Mac hangs up and continues to drive around. A few turns later, he spots a silver SUV; cautiously he moves closer to it and looks at the license plate. He knows without checking that the plates are the same as the stolen car. Trying to be discreet, he begins to follows the car and puts some distance between them.

The SUV turns left and five seconds later his truck does too. It turns right after five blocks, and he does too, noting all the warehouses around, most of which appear to be abandoned. Mac decides to put some more space between the cars now that they are on back streets and slows down. The car turn left again a short distance down the road; by the time he reaches the intersection, the silver SUV is no longer in sight.

Sighing, Mac turns the engine of his truck off and gets out of his car to snoop around on foot.

**You Found Me**

Stoneberg exits the SUV and closes the door to the warehouse before approaching Stella. "Did you miss me?" She doesn't reply. "I missed you," he places a hand on her shoulder, and she cringes. "There's no reason to be afraid. I'm not going to kill you, at least not for a while. You see… I knew as soon you entered the room yesterday that he loved you."

Stella does not let herself react to this; of course she loved him, but there was no way that he loved her back. He was just making this up to get to her.

"I knew as soon as I saw you that I had to have you. But believe it or not, yesterday was not the first time I saw you."

She gives him a quizzical look and attempts to speak, "When?" Her voice isn't above a whisper.

"I saw you in a video on the internet. A very… exciting video. And quite inappropriate too."

Stella lies there for several moments before she realizes what he is talking about. "Frankie?"

"He sent me the link actually. We met in a chat room on the internet. I'm actually the one who gave him the idea to… beat you up a little bit. He said he was worried because he hadn't heard from you in almost a week. Poor guy… look where my advice got him. So… I've decided to finish his work. And I've made sure you can't kill me first."

Stella closes her eyes, reliving the nightmare she went through with Frankie that night. After over three years, she had finally gotten past what he had done to her; well, she hadn't started dating again yet but only because she hadn't had the right person ask her. When she opens her eyes, he has a knife out.

"He thought you were cheating on him with your partner. And since I know that he loves you… we've got to do something about it. So… how do you think Mac would like to find you? In pieces? Dumped in the river? Frozen?" he watches her for a reaction. "Well, that's not important right now. I want to have some fun first."

**A/N: I didn't quite get the seven reviews I was looking for, but I decided I should update anyway. I'm leaving on Friday and the next chapter has a big cliffhanger in it. So... if you don't want to be left with that for over a week, you better send me lots of reviews. If you do, I'll probably post the next chapter tomorrow and the following one Thursday; that chapter doesn't have such a big cliff at the end of it. So it's up to you guys. **


	7. Getting a Choice

**Chapter 7: Getting a Choice**

_It never rang_

_And all I needed was a call_

Mac approaches the third warehouse on the street, having no luck in the first two. He begins to think that Stoneberg knew he was being followed and led him here to buy some more time with Stella. He finds the door to the building and pulls it up so that he can go underneath it. "Stella," he calls out as he ducks inside, his gun held out in front of him.

Inside is the silver SUV, and he knows he is in the right spot. "Stel, are you here?" he slowly walks around the car.

"Stop where you are, or I will kill her," Stoneberg orders, his knife pressed to Stella's neck.

Mac freezes, looking at his partner. She doesn't react at the sight of him; in fact, she isn't attempting to fight her kidnapper at all. She must be sicker than he thought. He tries to communicate with his eyes that he's going to try his best to save her and he's sorry for getting her into this mess.

"Put your weapon down," Stoneberg says.

Mac doesn't move, trying to figure out if he can put a bullet in the man without harming Stella. A trickle of blood runs down her throat, and he slowly lowers his weapon, deciding his aim wasn't good enough to be sure that he wouldn't accidentally hit her.

"Put it on the floor, and kick it towards me."

"Let her go."

"Why would I do that? I haven't even begun to have my fun with her."

"She's sick. She has mono. If she doesn't get medical attention, it could become fatal."

"She's going to die anyway. As long as I have some fun with her first, what do I care if I kill her or the virus does? Now, put your weapon down."

Mac slowly bends down, keeping his eyes on Stella, and lays his gun on the ground.

"Kick it under the car." As soon as Mac is disarmed, Stoneberg lets Stella go and walks towards Mac. Keeping his eyes on Mac, he closes the door to the warehouse and retrieves Mac's gun from underneath the car. "Now I want you to slowly walk over to that wall," he points with the gun.

"Why are you doing this to her?" Mac asks as he walks toward the wall. "What did she ever do to you?"

"To me, nothing. But I'm actually seeking revenge for my friend. She killed him… what was it? Three years ago?" he looks at Stella, a trace of a smirk on his face.

"I'm sure whoever it was deserved it, especially if they were a friend of yours."

"She was his; she couldn't break up with him. He had to do something in order to gain control of her."

"Stella doesn't belong to anybody," Mac glares at him. "And Frankie had no right to attack her just because she wanted out of the relationship."

"You haven't seen the video, have you?"

"What video?" the detective looks back and forth between Stella and Stoneberg.

"Apparently you two aren't as close as you think you are," Stoneberg takes the opportunity to tie Mac's hands behind his back before dragging him over to a computer. He pulls up a video, "Enjoy it. Of course, I'm sure it'll be much better to actually experience it."

After a minute, Mac looks away from the video. "I can't watch this; she didn't deserve to be violated in this way."

"That's too bad," Stoneberg leads Mac over to another chair a few yards away from the table Stella is lying on. "Because you get to witness it now. In person."

Stella tries not to show her fear as Stoneberg circles around the table, but Mac notices a tear fall down her cheek. "Don't do this to her," he begs. "Stella doesn't deserve this horror that you're putting her through. Take me. Do whatever you like to me; just let her go free."

"What fun would that be?" he smiles. "You really love her, don't you? Isn't that just so cute? But there's nothing you can do to save her."

Stella stares at Mac, trying to tell him to save himself and not worry about her. She is beyond the point of caring about what he does to her; she just wants it to be over.

"However, since you do love her so much, I will let you choose her fate. Or part of it at least. As much as I have been looking forward to having sex with her, I will let you do the honors before I kill you. I'm sure it'll be plenty of fun to watch. So what do you say, Taylor? Who is it going to be?"

Mac looks at Stella, hoping she would give him some help in his decision, but her head is turned the other direction. "I…"

**A/N: Wow, you guys sent me tons of reviews so... here's the next chapter. If I get lots of reviews again, I will get the next chapter posted before I leave on Friday since this is such a big cliffhanger. And I'm sure you guys will have a lot to say about this chapter so... get reviewing. Please keept reading. Thanks.**


	8. Home Videos

**Chapter 8: Home Videos**

_It never came_

_To the corner of First and Amistad_

Mac is torn, not sure which is worse. He could let Stoneberg rape her, which he would probably do after he killed him anyway. If he did this, it would be over with. And then he'd most likely kill her and give her peace… finally.

Or he could be the one to sleep with her, which would be rape anyway because he is sure Stella doesn't want to have anything to do with him right now. And if he did choose to do it, she'd probably hate him for the rest of their lives and their friendship would be over, if they even made it out of the warehouse alive. He couldn't lose his friendship with her… she means too much to him. Then again, she could hate him for letting Stoneberg do it.

"Can't I talk to her?" he timidly asks. "It's her… body. I think she should get a say in who… hurts her."

"No. You choose, Taylor, or I'll do it for you."

"Please, I don't know. Just give me a minute to talk to her. Let me have just a minute to say goodbye to her… because I'm sure you're not going to let both of us walk out of here."

"You've got thirty seconds to decide. And if I get to do it, I'm not going to be very gentle so I hope you like your movies rough."

Mac stares at her, waiting for some signal from her; he has no idea what he should choose. Either way she is going to hate him. With ten seconds left, she turns her head toward him, her green eyes pleading. "Mac…" she whispers, and he is unable to hear her voice but he can read her lips.

"I will do it," he says, standing. "But I don't want any more guns pointed at her."

"Fine, I will sit in that chair and watch; I'm sure it'll be a good show," he smiles, taking Mac's chair. "I bet your friends at the lab would like to see this. I could set up a webcam so they can watch…"

"They aren't sick like you. Sure, they'd be shocked, but none of them would actually watch it," Mac argues, not wanting her to be violated in such a way again.

"Alright. I'll just take a home video for myself then." Mac stands there in front of the table. "I'm not going to give you all day, Taylor. Stop being shy and get on with the show."

"I think it would be a lot easier for all involved in this show if we were not tied down."

Stoneberg sighs, "I will untie you, but only because I have the gun. You'll never make it to the exit before I shoot you. Besides, if you do leave, she'll get it twice as bad."

"What about her? She's weak and has no energy; she'll never be able to get away. Just untie her until we're done."

"No. I won't let you trick me into untying her so that you can escape with her." As he is untying Mac's hands, the detective's phone rings. Mac freezes. Stoneberg pulls the phone out of his pocket and looks at the ID. "Who is Flack?"

"Why don't you answer it and find out?" Mac says, trying to buy time and get some help.

"I'm not that dumb," he throws the phone to the concrete floor, and it breaks into pieces. "If they come in here, she is dead," Stoneberg pulls the gun out and points it at Stella's head. "Now, get moving before I put a bullet in you and take her for myself."

Mac slowly walks over to Stella and leans down to whisper in her ear, "Just go along with it, Stella. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I just need some time to come up with an escape plan."

"How are we going to fake this, Mac?" He can barely hear her even though her mouth is right next to his ear.

"I don't know." He places a hand on her cheek, letting it linger there for a moment before trailing down to her waist.

"Thank you," she whispers.

"I hope you're not mad at me for this," he lets his lips make a path from her ear down to her collar bone. "In case we don't get out of this… I want you to know that… I love you, Stella."

"I love you too, Mac."

He circles around to the other side of the table, unbuttoning part of his shirt. "I need you to save your energy for the escape, Stel. Trust me; I don't intend on harming you." She gives a slight nod to show she understood before letting him take control; she just wishes that he was doing this for a reason other than to save both of them from being killed.

"I won't let him hurt you, Stella. I just got an idea," he whispers, suddenly turning away from her.

She hears the sound of something crashing on the floor and breaking into many pieces. Stoneberg stands up and comes over to them, "My video camera! You son of a bitch!"

**A/N: I decided to post this tonight so I can concentrate on packing tomorrow. So... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Kind of still has a cliff but oh well. We come home on the eighteenth so I will try to post the next chapter that day. In the mean time, send me lots of reviews to read when I get back. I have no idea what I'm going to do during the plane ride... I only have one book left to read for school. Then I have to come home and write an essay and do some government stuff. Fun. Maybe I'll bring a notebook and write... by hand, the old-fashioned way. I have some ideas; I just haven't gotten around to writing them yet. Well, I hope you guys aren't too angry with me for leaving it like this for over a week. Thanks for reading.**


	9. In the Truck at Last

**Chapter 9: In the Truck at Last**

_Lost and insecure_

_You found me, you found me_

_Lying on the floor_

_Surrounded, surrounded_

Stella winces as she watches Stoneberg punch Mac in the jaw. "How dare you. That's it. She's mine. As soon as I get another camera, I'm going to give you a lesson in messing with me. You better hope I show her some mercy," Stoneberg ties Mac's hands behind his back and shoves him against the wall. "I'll be back." He slams the door of the SUV and drives away, furious.

Mac hurriedly begins to work at the knots binding him. Within ten minutes he has freed himself. He rushes over to Stella to free her from the table. When her feet are free, he frowns at her hands. "Does he have the key to your handcuffs?"

"Don't think so."

He surveys his surroundings. "I think we're going to have to wait until we get out of here to get those off."

"Now what are we going to do?"

"I need to contact the lab somehow that way they can meet us at the hospital with the key. And come here to arrest him. You don't have your phone, do you?"

She shakes her head. He begins to search the warehouse for a phone but doesn't find one. She taps his arm, looking over at the computer. He follows her gaze, "Nice idea, Stel. You wait here for five minutes while I give them the message."

Mac hurriedly types a message to Flack and sends it. "Okay, you ready to get out of here?" She gives him a small smile as an answer. "Can you hold these for me?" he pulls his keys out of his pocket and puts them in her hand.

"We have to move quickly because I don't know where he had to go in order to buy a new video camera. He could be gone for another hour or for five more minutes. So… I'm going to carry you to the door, okay?"

"Sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Stella. There's no way you can walk over there in your condition," he tucks a hand underneath her knees and puts the other around her back to support her before walking as quickly as he can to the door. Gently, he sets her down next to the door, leaning her up against the wall. Cautiously he lifts up the door enough for the two of them to fit under before lifting her up and placing her in the same position on the opposite side.

She is blinded by the sunlight, and she closes her eyes. "How long?" she asks.

It takes him a moment to figure out what she is talking about. "A little more than a day."

Mac moves to pick her up again, and she inhales sharply as he puts pressure on her stomach. "What?" he asks, worried, and puts her back down. Then he recalls what Hawkes had told him about abdomen pain. "Uh-oh. We need to get you to the hospital."

She looks up at him, wondering if she is going to live even though she has escaped from Stoneberg.

Trying to be as gently as possible, Mac lifts her up, placing her handcuffed arms around his neck. He somehow manages to open the passenger door to his truck without putting her down and without causing her extra pain. He places her in the seat and buckles her in. "Hang in there, Stella. We're almost free. I'm going to get you some help," he presses a kiss to her forehead before rushing over to the driver's seat.

He climbs in, buckles himself up, and puts the key in the ignition. The Avalanche starts up, and just as they start to move forward, Mac sees a silver SUV round the corner in front of them. He puts his foot on the gas pedal and pushes it down hard; the truck lunges forward before the SUV has time to react. Mac steers around the stolen car before turning the corner to get back to the main road. A moment later, he sees the SUV backing up and following them in the rearview mirror.

Mac forces himself to stop at the red light, the SUV right behind them. He watches in the mirror as Stoneberg tries to decide what to do. He glances impatiently at the light and then back at the SUV. Just as the crosswalk light begins to flash, signaling that the light will soon change, he notices something sticking out of the window of the SUV in the mirror. As it registers in his brain that it is his gun, the light changes to yellow.

"Duck, Stella," he pushes her down in her seat and presses the gas pedal. Cars that were trying to make it through the yellow light screech to avoid the truck as it goes through the light. Mac hears a bang and a second later both his window and Stella's shatter as they make the turn onto the main road. Determined to get his partner to safety, Mac switches on his siren and pushes the gas pedal down as far as it will go.

**A/N: I'm home. It is really boring to look at canyons for a whole week. They all started to look the same. So... tomorrow I have to go to a family reunion. I will update in the evening sometime unless it's really late when we get home. Keep the reviews coming; I enjoyed reading them when I got back. Thanks.**


	10. Just Rest

**Chapter 10: Just Rest**

_Why'd you have to wait?_

_Where were you? Where were you?_

_Just a little late_

_You found me, you found me_

Stella blinks, her eyes trying to adjust to the bright lights around her. "Mac?" she says his name, her voice still somewhat hoarse, wondering what had happened to them.

Mac opens his eyes and turns to her, "Hey, you're awake."

She looks around, realizing she is in a hospital bed, "Am I not supposed to be?"

He offers her a glass of water that is sitting on the stand beside the bed to help her sore throat. "The doctors just said you might be out for a while so… I wasn't really expecting you to be awake yet."

She quickly empties the glass, "What's wrong with me?" This time her voice is almost normal.

"You have mono. And you got dehydrated, which is why you were having a hard time talking. But they hooked you up to an IV and gave you some drugs to help your throat. And to ease the pain in your abdomen. You're spleen did not rupture, thank goodness, but we have to be careful. It should return to normal within a few weeks. They put a few stitches in your head wound and cleaned it up; it doesn't look so bad now. And there's really nothing we can do about your lack of energy; the doctor just said to get plenty of rest. So… you will not be working for some time."

"What about you?" she asks worriedly.

"I'm fine, Stella. A little sore, but I'll be okay in a few days."

"Did they catch him?"

Mac slowly shakes his head, "No. He got away. But Lindsay did a little bit of digging; he's actually wanted in three different states. He has moved from Dallas to Las Vegas to Miami and finally to New York and killed fourteen women under different names. So… it's only a matter of time before he is caught, and he won't be getting out for a long time so don't worry about him. Flack was going to alert the feds on his way home."

"They're all okay?"

"Yes, they're perfectly fine. You were the only one to get hurt. They wanted to see you, but I told them it could wait until morning; they needed to get some rest."

"You should be at home too. He wouldn't dare do anything to me if I'm in a hospital. Go home and rest, Mac."

"Stella, I'm not going to leave you alone again; last time I did that he kidnapped you."

"Mac, I will tell the nurses to make you go home and follow the visiting hours like a normal person."

He reaches over and takes her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it. "You wouldn't do that."

"Are you daring me to?"

"If it were me in that bed, you wouldn't leave my side. I know you; don't try to deny it."

"Fine," she lets him win, only because she truly is frightened to be alone, even in the busy hospital.

"Stel," he whispers, seeing her fear, "he's probably already headed to another city."

"I don't know; he really wanted me dead."

"I know this is hard, and you probably don't want to talk about it, but… I have to ask. Did he… rape you?"

Her green eyes meet his blue ones, "He hadn't gotten around to it yet thanks to you."

Thankful, he nods, "I just wanted to get you out of their alive."

Not wanting to discuss the events of the past few days yet, Stella changes the subject. "So… how long do I have to stay here?"

"The doctor said overnight. But he can keep you longer if you haven't improved. And he said that he doesn't want you on your own for a while because of the virus so… I was going to see if you wanted to stay at my place for a couple weeks or however long it takes for you to get over this illness."

"Okay. Thanks, Mac."

"You know… we're going to have to give statements at some point and… well, you know how it is with rumors in the lab. I mean, we know nothing happened in that warehouse, and there's evidence to prove it… or no evidence to prove that it happened but… The techs are going to talk anyway when they hear about it. So… I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for putting you in this position."

"Mac… if you hadn't done that, I'd probably be dead right now… or would be dead in a few hours. I think I can put up with their gossip if it means staying alive."

"I also wanted you to know that what I said back there was true, Stella. I do love you."

"And I meant it when I said I love you too, Mac."

"You… did? As in… you would like to go on a date with me when you're feeling better?"

"Yes. And if I had the strength, I'd lean over and kiss you."

He leans over toward her, "Please don't. We don't need both of us to have mono." She smiles at him, and he slowly presses his lips to her forehead. "Since that's all I can do for now…"

**A/N: Glad to see that you guys are enjoying the story. And no, I couldn't let Stoneberg hurt Stella... before she gets some help. And he's in some big trouble when they catch him... which isn't anytime soon, I hate to say. I will update again tomorrow if you guys send me seven more reviews. So... keep reading and reviewing and we'll both be happy.**


	11. Kidnapped Again

**Chapter 11: Kidnapped Again**

_In the end_

_Everyone ends up alone_

Mac helps her get into his truck the following morning after stopping by her apartment to pack her a bag for a couple nights, "Do you feel up to stopping by the lab for a little bit? I just want to see if they learned anything and hand out the new cases."

"Yeah, that's fine, Mac," she reaches for her seatbelt but he already has it. He leans across her to buckle it. "I'm perfectly capable of buckling my own seatbelt, Taylor."

"You don't seem all that ill to me," he smiles. "Were you faking it?"

"Watch, now I'll crash in five minutes," she smirks at him.

On the way to the lab, Mac has a hard time keeping his eyes on the road and off of Stella. "So… were you serious about going out on a date with me?"

She turns her gaze from out the window to him. "Of course I was. As soon as I have enough energy to spend the evening out."

"We don't have to go out… I could cook us dinner tonight."

"I… I… Maybe we could wait a couple days and give ourselves a little more time to get used to this."

After a moment, he nods. "How about we have our first date on Sunday, whether we go out or I cook?"

"Three days from now… okay."

He reaches over and places his hand on top of hers. She jumps at the contact and pulls her hand away. "I… sorry, Stella," he quickly turns back to the road, not sure what just happened.

"Mac… I really didn't mean to do that. You have to understand that… I just got away from someone whose touch meant pain. I know you don't intend to hurt me, but… it's a reflex. It'll go away with time," she tries to explain. "And the fact that Frankie was… the last guy I went on a date with probably doesn't help."

"I… know. It just feels like you don't want to be close to me. But I'll try to be patient," he gives her an understanding smile. He parks the truck and walks over to her side to help her get out. "So… we're not going to tell the others yet, are we?"

She shakes her head, "They don't need to know right now. I mean, we aren't officially dating until Sunday so…"

He holds his hand out to her, and she takes it before stepping out onto the curb. As they begin to walk into the lab, he puts his arm around her waist to keep her steady in case she becomes weak. He glances down at her, and she doesn't seem to mind the contact. "I'm sure they'll all be excited to see you."

As soon as the couple walks out of the elevator, they are bombarded by their coworkers. Lindsay hugs Stella while Danny says, "What are you two doing here? I've got the lab under control; go home and rest."

She laughs, "Mac couldn't stay away; and I'm sure you being in charge is part of the reason."

Hawkes joins the group as they walk to Mac's office. "How are you feeling, Stel?"

"Better. Actually I feel semi-normal right now, but it's probably just whatever they did at the hospital."

While Mac is looking through the files on his desk, Don enters. "Stella, what are you doing here? You're sick. And Mac should know better than to let you in here," he teases her.

"Hi, Don. Did you have any luck finding him?"

"No. The feds are going to take the case though. And since you're the only victim who has survived, they're probably going to want to talk to you soon. And Mac since he is a witness. And… the NYPD should probably have a statement from both of you."

Mac looks up, "I can give you mine now if you guys will keep on eye of Stella for me." She frowns at him for making her sound like a little kid. "There's only one case, a breaking and entering. So if a couple of you want to go process that scene…"

Danny and Hawkes offer to go, leaving the two women alone. "So… did Mac feed you breakfast this morning?"

"No… he said he'd make me breakfast when we got to his apartment but… I guess his plans changed a little."

"Do you want to go? We can leave him a note."

"Okay."

**You Found Me**

When Mac walks into his office forty-five minutes later, he finds a note; the handwriting is Stella's. He looks around his office again before heading to the elevators to meet them at the diner. As the elevator makes its descent, his phone rings, "Taylor."

"Mac, we just got another report on the stolen SUV; a couple officers went to check it out, and it's still there. He left it a couple blocks from the lab."

"Where?" he asks, frowning. Flack gives him the address. "That's only a block away from where Lindsay and Stella were going to eat."

"And get this: another car was stolen two blocks away from where he dumped the SUV," Don says, giving him the specific location.

"That's on the other side of the diner. I've got to get over there," Mac hangs up and jogs to his truck, hoping that Stella hadn't been kidnapped again.

**A/N: And from the title of the chapter, you all should know where Stella now is. Unfortunately. However, when Mac finds Stoneberg, I assure you that Mac will make him regret taking his best friend. So... if you send me six reviews for this chapter, I will update again tomorrow. And I'm sure you're all eager to know whether Stella is going to survive this time. So... I encourage you all to hit that little button and make me happy.**


	12. Lost and Insecure

**Chapter 12: Lost and Insecure**

_Losing her_

_The only one who's ever known_

As Mac approaches the entrance to the diner, he spots Lindsay outside; she appears to be searching for something, or someone, worrying him. "Lindsay," he calls, getting her attention.

"Mac. I… Stella… I don't know where she went; it's all my fault. I was only gone two minutes. How far could she have gotten?" Lindsay babbles, afraid of what he's going to do to her for losing his best friend.

"Relax, I'm sure she's somewhere around here," he tries to calm her. "Now, tell me exactly what happened."

"Well, we finished eating, but we were going to sit here and wait for you to come. I went to the restroom to wash my hands because they were sticky, and Stella said she'd wait at the table. I didn't even think about her being alone because it'd only be a couple minutes. And I didn't think he'd really come in here and drag her off without someone noticing. But… I've asked everyone. No one saw her leave or saw a man approach her. Mac… I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Lindsay. If it were any other woman, he probably wouldn't be following her to try to kidnap her again. But he's… out to kill Stella."

"If it were any other woman, she wouldn't have gotten away in the first place," Lindsay says quietly.

"Stella…" Mac calls out, looking for his friend. "You go that way, and we'll meet back here in ten minutes." The two split up, only to meet in front of the diner less than ten minutes later without a trace of Stella.

Angry at Stoneberg, Mac calls Don, "He has her again."

"How can you be sure?"

"Flack, he left one car and stole another within a couple blocks of the diner they were at. She's missing now. He must have gotten her. But no one will tell us anything."

"Alright, I'll send men to his apartment, the warehouse, and any other place he's ever been."

"What if he's running with her? By the time we find them, she'll be dead." Flack does not know how to comfort his boss and remains quiet. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch. He better hope someone else catches him." Mac slams his phone shut.

Lindsay watches him pace the sidewalk. "What do you want me to do?" she timidly asks.

"I… Go on back to the lab. I'll be back in a few minutes," Mac takes off down the sidewalk, away from the diner.

**You Found Me**

"Damn," Stoneberg swears as red and blue lights go off behind the stolen car as they speed down the highway.

"You shouldn't be driving this fast; and if you don't stop, he's going to keep following you. And you'll be in even more trouble. Although I'd say you're already going to get the death penalty whenever you get caught."

"Shut up," he smacks her across the face and steers off the road to slow down. "Now, if you say one word, I'll kill you. And it'll be even more horrific than what I was planning before."

"Imagine that," she mumbles. "You're going to kill me anyway; what's it matter how you do?"

"I said to keep your mouth shut." The officer approaches the driver's side, and her kidnapper rolls the window down. "Can I help you, officer?"

"Are you aware of the fact that you were going thirty miles per hour over the speed limit?"

"Really?"

"Don't play dumb; it won't help you." The officer goes back to his car to radio in the incident. Slowly he walks back to the car. "Sir, the car you are driving is stolen. Would you care to explain how it came to be in your possession?"

"Not really."

"I'm going to have to take you and your friend into custody."

"You can't do that."

"And why is that?" the officer sighs, having been warned that they suspected a serial killer was driving the vehicle. "I know who you are, Mr. Stoneberg. Now, I want you to slowly step out of the car and lie on the ground."

"Okay," he reaches over to undo his seatbelt and grabs the gun out of his pocket. "Or maybe I won't," he points Mac's weapon at the officer and fires twice before the poor man is able to react.

Stella jumps back in shock when the gun is fired, not expecting him to do something like that. "That wasn't a smart move."

"Like I care," Stoneberg steps on the gas pedal, and the car speeds forward.

"Mac's going to kill you for shooting an officer. But I'm sure you had a target on your head as soon as you first put your hand on me."

"Go ahead and talk. Because by the time your friend figures out where you are, he'll be too late. All he'll find is your lifeless body," he smiles at her, making her cringe.

**A/N: You guys are all worried about Lindsay... who is perfectly fine. Now, Stella, on the other hand, you should be worrying about. And I couldn't resist the title for this chapter, for those of you who know the song. Anyway, I'll probably update again tomorrow if you guys send me more reviews. Unless I make myself do my government homework that I have like ten more days to do. And then I have to do my other English essay. I hate homework...**


	13. Mac Is Frustrated

**Chapter 13: Mac Is Frustrated**

_Who I am_

_Who I'm not and who I want to be_

Don rushes into Mac's office, "They were pulled over for speeding. The officer said he'd arrested them when he found out the car was stolen and who we thought was driving it. But he was shot, and they took off."

Mac turns around and punches the glass wall of his office, cursing. The glass shatters, but he doesn't seem to care. "Any idea where they were headed?"

"They were going north on eighty-seven when they were pulled over. They were about halfway to Albany. Doesn't mean that's where he was taking her."

Mac thinks for a moment before leaving his office in search of one of his employees. "Hawkes," he says, finding the former ME in front of a computer, "I need to know if you can find any connection between Stoneberg and Albany, NY."

"Okay, give me a few minutes."

Mac waits impatiently, hoping that they had found some clue as to where he is taking Stella. While he is waiting, he sees Sinclair walk through the lab. "Great. What does he want?" he mumbles, exiting in order to great his boss.

"Taylor, the new glass wall will be coming out of your paycheck."

"Yes, sir. Is that all you came down here for?"

"The FBI team leading this investigation will be here at three; that's one hour from now so I suggest you get that mess cleaned up."

"Okay." Sinclair walks back toward the elevators, and Mac returns to Sheldon. "Anything?"

"Stoneberg has an older brother that owns a house outside of Albany. I'd have to guess that that's where he's headed."

"Alright. Thanks," Mac hurries to the elevator, already dialing Flack's number. "Stoneberg has a brother. He owns a house in Albany. I'm going up there."

"I'm going with you. I'll pull my car around for you."

**You Found Me**

Stoneberg turns into a long, winding driveway that leads up to a fairly large house. He parks the car and gets out without a word.

Stella reaches over to open her door as he walks around the car. When he puts his hand out to open the door, she shoves it open, knocking him over, and takes off running. After a few seconds, she crumples to the ground, too weak to run.

"Thought you could get away, huh?" he asks, towering over her. "Well, now I know that I don't have to tie you up; you can't get anywhere anyway."

"Just kill me now and get it over with," she says; she would rather die than have him rape her, even if he was going to kill her afterwards.

"I can't do that." Roughly he drags Stella to her feet and into the house. He opens the door with a key, and she curiously looks around, wondering where they were. Stoneberg practically drags her up the stairs and into what she believes is the master bedroom before pushing her down onto the bed.

As he goes into the bathroom, Stella notes her surroundings. "So… where are we?" she asks, spotting a picture of a happy couple getting married on the dresser.

"My brother's house. He and his wife are on vacation for the week so… it's the perfect place for me to have some fun with you. And I should still have plenty of time to get the place back in order after you're gone."

"Mac is going to figure out that you have a brother that lives here and come to save me."

"He'll be too late to save you," Stoneberg comes out of the bathroom carrying a hair straightener. "I think you'd look better with straight hair." He plugs the iron in and lets it sit, going over to the TV on the wall opposite the bed.

"What about your video camera? I'd think that you'd want to get this on tape since you've dreamed about this for a long time," she tries to stall for time.

"I'm starting it now," he points to a flashing red light in the ceiling. "My brother likes to tape himself too. But he doesn't kill the women he sleeps with. Actually, I think he's been faithful to his wife since they got married." He grabs the iron from the nightstand, "Now sit up so I can make you look pretty for our little show."

Stella tries to sit up, but her arms are too weak to support her. She is unable to bring herself to a sitting position.

"Fine, if you don't want to listen, I'll have to punish you," Stoneberg closes the iron around her lower right arm.

She jerks back in pain as the intense heat hits her skin. "Ow. Stop. I can't…"

He releases her arm and tosses the iron to the ground, "Let's not worry about the details. People will watch it as long as I rape you."

Grinning at her, he pulls her shirt over her head before pressing his lips against hers, unbuttoning his own shirt.

**A/N: Oh, no. Poor Stella. Is Mac going to get there in time? I'm like super bored but I don't want to do my government. I have my articles now so all I have to do is summarize them but... I still don't want to do it. And I don't want to write my other English paper or read Twelfth Night. So... I may update tomorrow, I may not. I'm not sure yet. I don't even know what I'm doing tomorrow. Other than going to the eye docotr. I swear we went last year... no idea why we're going again. Anyway... please keep reviewing; I'm sure you all will since Stella's life is in grave danger. Thanks.**


	14. Not the Same Stella

**Chapter 14: Not the Same Stella**

_No way to know_

_How long she will be next to me_

Mac stares ahead of him, worrying about what Stoneberg could have done to Stella in the time he had had her. Don makes a sharp turn onto the street listed on the sheet in Mac's hand. "What was the address again?" he asks. Mac does not respond, deep in thought, imagining ways to kill Stoneberg for hurting his best friend. "Mac?"

"What? Oh, it's 9347," he says, reaching over to turn the siren off. Stoneberg didn't need to know that they were on the way.

"Must be a little ways down."

"Fancy neighborhood. Wonder what his brother does for a living."

"Let's hope he's not a lawyer." Flack puts the car in park a little distance away from the driveway. "We should probably wait for backup, Mac. I mean, we know he's dangerous, and he has a gun. There's a good chance he'll either kill one of us or… her."

"We can't do that to her, Don. I can't do that to her. What if he's about to kill her. Or rape her. I can't just sit here and wait while he's hurting her."

"Alright. Let's go," Flack pulls his gun out of its holster. "But don't do anything stupid, Mac."

The two men quickly approach the house. "Should we knock or kick it down?" Don asks.

"The car's in the driveway; we're sure he stole it. All the justification I need."

The detective gives a small nod and steps back. With all his force, he kicks the door, and it swings open. "NYPD," he yells, running inside.

Mac is right behind him. "I'll check upstairs." He quickly goes up the flight of stairs and cautiously approaches the bedroom. Stepping into the doorway, he finds Stoneberg standing over Stella, his lips against her shoulder and his hands unzipping her jeans. "Hey, Stoneberg," Mac calls out.

The man quickly lifts his head up to see who was calling him and is surprised to find Mac there. "You're just in time."

"Take your hands off of her," Mac orders, desperately wanting to pull the trigger.

"Or what?" he challenges.

After glancing at Stella, who is lying still on the bed with her eyes closed, Mac makes his decision. The bullet hits Stoneberg in the forehead, and the criminal falls onto the floor, dead.

"Stella," he rushes over to her, pulling her body to his in a tight hug. She flinches at his touch, afraid. He puts one hand on the small of her back and the other around her head, not even noticing that she is not hugging him back. "It's okay, Stel. I have you now," he presses a kiss to the top of her head, and she quickly turns her face away from him. "Are you alright?" he asks after a full minute of embracing her. Slowly she shakes her head; he feels the answer against his shoulder.

Mac finally lets go of her, and she stands there awkwardly, staring at the ground. He tries not to look at her, knowing she is embarrassed enough about being half-dressed.

Flack holds out her shirt to her after checking to make sure Stoneberg is dead. "Here, Stella. Why don't you go into the bathroom and… clean yourself up?"

The two detectives stand there awkwardly for a few minutes until she comes back out, still refusing to make eye contact with them. "You probably need to go back to the hospital," Mac says, looking at the burn on her arm. Without a word, she heads down the stairs and out the door. Mac looks at Don, worried.

"Take my car; I'll wait for the Albany police to come," he tosses the keys to his friend.

"Thanks."

**You Found Me**

The doctor bandages Stella's arm, "So how did this happen?"

"Straightener," she mumbles, looking at the ground.

The doctor glances at Mac, suspecting domestic violence. "Was this man involved?" he nods toward Mac.

She shakes her head.

"She's my partner; we're detectives in New York. We… took care of the man that did this to her," Mac explains briefly.

"Perhaps we should keep her overnight to make sure she doesn't go into shock. She seems a little… unresponsive."

"That's not necessary. I'll take good care of her."

Mac escorts her out of the building silently, knowing she would just push herself farther from him if he tried to get her to talk to him. As they pull up in front of the house to pick up Flack, he turns his attention to her. "Stella… if you want to talk, I'm here for you," he tells her quietly, making sure she knows that he is there for her. She does not respond.

Flack walks over to the car and climbs in. "The feds are on their way. I explained the situation; they said they would be down tomorrow to talk to us."

With a nod, Mac starts the drive home. Stella stares blankly out the window, wishing she could fall asleep and wake up to find that it was all just a nightmare. However, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him or Frankie. Sighing to herself, she tries to hold back her emotions, knowing that it is going to take a long time to recover.

**A/N: I forgot to tell you guys last chapter that we are half way there. Stoneberg's dead, but there's still plenty of things that have to happen before happily ever after... if they get one. So... you guys can speed up the process by sending reviews. I'll update tomorrow if I get... seven reviews. Oh, I've got a question for you guys. Was there an episode of NY that had to do with golfing on top of the buildings or something? And the guys died because he had instant cement or something put down his throat. Or am I completely imagining this? Anyway... hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	15. Opening Up

**Chapter 15: Opening Up**

_Lost and insecure_

_You found me, you found me_

_Lying on the floor_

_Surrounded, surrounded_

Mac opens his door for her and lets her step inside before carrying her bags down the hall to his bedroom. She follows him, barely noticing that he does not turn into the guest room. "You can stay in my room. That way you can watch TV if you can't sleep," he looks around his room. "You're welcome to use the bathroom and the shower if you want. And whatever else you can find. It's been a long day; I think I'm going to bed if you don't need anything."

Stella doesn't say a word so he gathers what he needs and heads to the guest room. As he climbs into the bed, Mac is aware of the shower water running. He doesn't blame her for wanting to bathe. About the time he drifts off to sleep the water turns off.

A few hours later, Mac is awakened by sounds coming from his kitchen. Slowly he gets out of bed and wanders down the hallway. Stella is sitting on his counter, her back toward him, waiting for the microwave to finish warming her mug. He tries not to startle her as he walks into the kitchen, but she jumps anyway when she sees him. "Hey. Can't sleep?" he asks quietly.

She nods.

"I don't think coffee is going to help much," he manages a small smile. She holds up a package of hot chocolate. "That's not much better."

She shrugs and gets the mug out of the microwave.

"Stella…" he says as she sips her hot drink. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. It's my fault that he got you again. I shouldn't have left you alone."

She frowns and shakes her head at him, trying to tell him that it's not his fault.

"Did you lose your voice again? Because you know you can't go forever without talking, Stella."

"I'm scared, Mac," she whispers, shivering.

He desperately wants to reach out and embrace her, but he knows that will not help her. "I know. Every time I close my eyes I see what he could have done to you if we hadn't gotten there in time. But you have to get some rest; you need to save your energy."

"This is going to be hard - for both of us. I… I need you to…"

"Don't worry about it. I'll wait for you; I can be patient."

"That's not exactly what I was thinking about. I… After Frankie attacked me, you tried not to treat me as a victim once the case was solved. And… I really appreciated that. So… I was hoping you could see me as your friend and not a victim. I mean… I'm going to be different but…"

"I'll try my best, Stella," he holds his hand out to her.

She takes his hand, "Thanks."

"Now… let's get you back in bed."

She reluctantly allows him to lead her back to his bedroom and tuck her in bed. "Mac?" she whispers.

"Yes?"

"Do you think you could stay in here with me? I just feel… safer with you around."

Slowly he nods, "Sure. Just let me grab a pillow and blanket from the other room and I'll sleep on the floor right beside you."

"No, you don't have to stay on the floor. Your bed is big enough for both of us. I mean, if you're comfortable with that."

"Are you sure you won't mind it?"

"Mac… you know I trust you with my life. I know you're not going to intentionally hurt me or try anything."

Watching her closely, he slowly climbs into the bed next to her, careful to give her plenty of space. He then reaches over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand, "Good night, Stella."

"Night," she whispers.

For a full ten minutes the only sound in the room is their breathing. Then Stella speaks. "He stood in the window until I saw him. And he waved a gun at me, pointing toward Lindsay. I couldn't let him hurt her; she has a baby to care for. So… I left when I got the opportunity in order to save her."

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"When we were in the diner. He didn't come in a get me; he threatened to hurt her so… I had to go."

"I'm sure Lindsay would be grateful. She kept blaming herself when you disappeared."

She rolls onto her side to face him in the dark, "Do I… have to talk to the FBI? Going through it the first time was hard enough; I'd rather not do it again… even for you."

"I don't know. I mean… he's dead, but they probably still want to talk to you since you're the only one to survive."

"You're not mad that I won't tell you what happened?" she rests a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course not; if you don't want to talk, I'm find with that. Just know that I am here if you do want to. But… I don't necessarily think it's the best idea to keep it all inside, Stel."

"So you're going to make me see the shrink before I can come back to work," she finishes, knowing what he will say.

"We'll discuss this later; you're not coming back to work immediately anyway. So… get some rest. I'm right here; no one can hurt you."

Sighing, Stella curls up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder; Mac is somewhat surprised at her actions but quickly relaxes as her breathing becomes even. The two detectives are soon fast asleep.

**A/N: So... I don't really have anything to say. If you guys send me another seven reviews, I will update tomorrow. Now I've got to go work on my government homework some more... I'm half-way done with this stupide annotated bibliography thing. Of course, I think my articles are longer in the second half so... it's going to take even longer. I was going to turn it in Monday, but I guess I can't if we're going to the zoo... Anyway, please review and keep reading.**


	16. Protests

**Chapter 16: Protests**

_Why'd you have to wait?_

_Where were you? Where were you?_

_Just a little late_

_You found me, you found me_

"Are you going to work?"

Mac turns around to face her, buttoning his shirt up, "Did I wake you up?"

"No. But you didn't answer my question."

"No, I wasn't planning on going in today unless the FBI needs to talk to me. I was actually going to run to the store and get some food while you were sleeping. But… you're awake now. If you want to go with me, I'll wait for you to get ready. And we can stop for breakfast if you want; I don't have any food here."

"No, you go ahead. I don't feel like getting out of bed yet."

"Are you sure you're okay to be alone?"

"I'm not planning on getting out of bed anytime soon; you don't have to worry about me getting hurt," she says.

"Psychologically?"

"I just have to keep telling myself that you killed him; he can't hurt me anymore."

**You Found Me**

Mac returns with the groceries an hour later and begins to cook breakfast for his partner. She is watching the news when he enters the bedroom with a tray of food for her. "Anything interesting?"

She shakes her head, "You mean you haven't called Danny to see if your lab is still intact?"

"No, I didn't want to distract them from their work," he sets the plate of eggs and toast in front of her. "This okay?"

"It's fine, Mac. I'm not that picky."

"So… how did he burn your arm?" he asks, noticing the lose bandaging around her forearm, which reminded him that he should change it for her.

"He wanted to straighten my hair… for his video or something. And when I couldn't sit up so he could do it, he burned my arm. And then he gave up."

"You know I can't imagine you with straight hair. I think the curls suit you."

Her cheeks redden. "Mac, you know… you really don't have to try to flatter me because it isn't going to make this whole… process go any faster," she teases.

Now he blushes, "I… it… take as much time as you need to deal with it, Stella."

"So, um, how long… are you keeping me away from the lab?"

"Until you're healthy."

"Which will be… a few days? A week?"

He looks away from her, knowing she'll be mad. "Hawkes said it could last anywhere from a few weeks to six months."

"I can't sit here and do nothing for six months, Mac. I'll go insane. And I can't invade your home like this for that long."

"Don't worry about that right now."

"I've been here for twelve hours, and I'm already bored. Even paperwork is better than doing nothing here."

He sighs, knowing she'd bother him until he gives in. "Look, Hawkes said that if it lasts for six months, it'll be on and off; some days you'll feel normal and some days you won't want to get up. If you feel oaky, I'll let you come in to work for half a day. But it's my decision. And… you need to talk to someone, Stella, whether it's me or one of the guys at work or a professional. I have to know that you're mentally okay to go back to work."

She glares at him for a moment, "Alright."

"But you are not going in before Wednesday."

"That's five days from now, Mac."

"I don't care."

They sit quietly as she finishes her breakfast; Mac then puts new bandages on her burn. "What are you going to do?" she looks up at him as he wraps the gauze around her arm.

"What do you mean?"

"About work. You said you'd take care of me; so… how are you going to work when you're only letting me go in for half a day when you think I can handle it? Not even you can be in two places at once, Mac."

"I'll work when you work," he finishes wrapping her arm, and his eyes meet hers.

"Mac…"

He puts a finger on her lips before she can finish her protest. "I'm going to take care of you, Stella. It's what we do, remember? And if that means I can't go in to work, I won't; I'm sure the lab will be fine without me."

"Are you sure about that? I mean… leaving Danny in charge?" she smirks.

"Well, I might have to go in to check on it every once in a while," he smiles.

Stella hesitates, "You have to let me repay you for this; I mean, you might not be making much money if you only go in for half a day once in a while."

"Don't worry about it; I have plenty of money in the bank."

"Does that mean Danny will be getting your supervisor pay? Because he and Lindsay would benefit from that extra money now that they have Lucy."

"I'll talk to Sinclair about it. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you? "

**A/N: I believe the next chapter is a lot of talking too... not the most exciting thing, but it might clear some things up. For Mac at least. And then I think we get a little more excitement in the next three or four chapters. Don't worry. Neither Mac or Stella is placed in any danger. So... I finished my government finally. Now I just have to go turn it in. And then I have to write my English paper on Things Fall Apart or whatever it is. That book wasn't as good as Dorian Gray. And then I'll probably die of boredom the rest of the summer. Well, I have band so maybe not. I think our contest show theme is Rome this year... wonder what kind of music that'll be. Well... if I get enough persuasion, I will try to update tomorrow evening when I get back from the zoo. Please review...**


	17. Questions and Answers

**Chapter 17: Questions and Answers**

_Early morning_

_The city breaks_

Stella sits down next to him on the couch, "Busy?"

He sets aside his papers, "They can wait. What would you like?"

"I… I shouldn't have opened the door. I should have known that you would use your key and just ignored the knocking. But I didn't. And I couldn't do anything to fight him off once I opened it. I should've looked to see who was at the door. And my gun was right there; why didn't I at least try to shoot him?"

"Stella, none of it is your fault. Even if you were feeling okay, he was twice your size; I wouldn't expect you to be able to fight him off. If anything… it was my fault. I told you I'd be over, and you were sick; obviously you wouldn't be thinking clearly enough to check the door first."

"Mac, I don't think the therapist is supposed to interrupt the patient," she says, trying to gently tell him that she'd prefer it if he remained silent and listened to her.

"Okay, if that's what you want."

"So… when we finally got to the warehouse, he had another woman there. And… he killed her. Right in front of me. I mean, we deal with death every day, but we don't actually see the person die in front of us. It was… I just felt so helpless. And he cut off her hands; that was just… gross."

"Why?" he studies her.

"The keys to the chains were in booking. Did… was she ever found?"

"The day after we rescued… you… for the second time. I hadn't heard anything about the case really; I figured it was the same as the other victims."

"He was in her apartment… she saw him before he attacked her. Mac… he knew Frankie; I… I didn't think Frankie was a bad guy. Not until I found the video at least. But I still didn't think he'd ever actually hurt me. Apparently he was crazy all along. How did I not figure it out? I mean, with Stoneberg, it was obvious that something was wrong. But Frankie… always seemed like a nice, normal guy. He never pushed me to sleep with him or anything… He seemed liked a decent guy. He wasn't… you, obviously, but… I really didn't think he'd hurt me. And then I find out he only attacked me because Stoneberg told him to when I broke it off."

"Is that why you broke up with him? Because of the video?" Mac asks.

"He got… upset when I got called into work one evening. He made me a sculpture to make up for it," she pauses.

"To make up for it? Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't hit me or anything. He was just angry… But he told me the name of the statue and I went to look it up later. He… he… I found his website when I searched it on the computer."

"Why didn't you tell me about the video?" he gently asks, looking over at her.

"I… I really don't know. Flack… I told him when he was talking to me about the… attack in the hospital. He asked why I broke up with Frankie. But… I really don't know why I never told you about it."

"It's okay," he reaches out to take her hand.

"When you came, I… I didn't want you to be there. I knew he was going to hurt me, and… you really didn't need to see it. It would have just made you angry… and sad. And then he gave you the choice, and I really didn't know which would be worse. I was sure there would be no one way you'd actually do it, but… I didn't know how we were going to fake it. I was sure that if we actually did do it, you would be too… embarrassed and our friendship would be over. And… I couldn't deal with that, Mac. I didn't think you'd do it because I didn't think that you loved me, and you're a… traditional sort of guy so…"

"You should know me better than that, Stella. I would've done anything to get you out of there alive. Even… that… if there was absolutely no other way. I just preferred not to…" he says, quickly adding, "for the sake of our friendship, not because I don't love you."

"I understand, Mac," she whispers so he is not embarrassed. "Things would have been strained between us if it had come to that."

He nods slowly, "So… is that all?"

"You shouldn't have killed him, Mac. He didn't deserve it. Not like that."

"Stella, he almost raped you. What do you mean he didn't deserve it?"

"You should have let him suffer in prison. Like he made those girls suffer. I'm sure he would've died eventually, whether he was killed by another inmate or the death penalty. But you gave him the easy way out," Stella leans her head against his shoulder. They are silent for a few minutes before she asks, "So can I go back to work tomorrow?"

"We'll see how you feel in the morning," he kisses her forehead and lets her fall asleep against him. Gently he lifts her up and carries her to his bed, carefully setting her down and tucking her in. "Good night, Stel."

**A/N: PLEASE READ... I would just like to inform you all that you are free to review whenever you feel like it; I'm not trying to force you to review. So for the last nine chapters of the story, I will try to update every day or at least every other day. I would also like to say that I in no way wrote the violence in the story for my own pleasure or to give you guys pleasure. I am not a sick and perverted person, which I think you can tell if you go through all of my stories, only four of over sixty of which I think could be labeled as being violent and abusive. I wrote these stories because I think that it is an effective way to get Mac and Stella together. Stella is my favorite character on the show, and I definitely do not wish this kind of abuse on her. In addition, it is a story based on a crime show; I think it would be vary hard to write stories based on a crime show without having any kind of violence and abuse in them. I'm sure you all are not oblivious to all the sick people in this world, and I'm sure I'm not the only writer who wishes to put some of the real world into their fanfiction. As for copying the part about the straightening iron, I don't recall this in any of the stories I've read, but I'm sorry if I've offended the original writer of this. I understand your right to freedom of speech, Reader911, but I do not appreciate the false accusations. If you do not like these kinds of stories, then you should stop reading them; I would not be offended if any of you stopped reading my story. Thank you for reading.**


	18. Reprimanded

**Chapter 18: Reprimanded**

_I've been calling_

_For years and years and years and years_

Mac hands her a bottle of water, "How was your morning?"

She takes it and tries to open it, "Okay."

He walks around her desk and takes the water from her hands, opening it effortlessly, "There. I guess you don't have all your energy back yet."

Frowning at him, she takes a sip. "Did you come to say that it's time to leave?"

"No," he checks his watch, "you have another hour. I came to see if you were up to going out for lunch."

"Sure. It beats your cooking," Stella teases.

Danny knocks on her door before entering, "Hey, we got a break. The fingerprint you found got a match in AFIS. Flack went to arrest the guy; should be back soon. Do you want to interrogate him?"

"Um… no, you and Flack can handle it," she shakes her head, not to keen on the interrogation room at the moment.

Once Danny leaves, Mac turns to her. "How did your victim die?"

"She was shot. We think it may have been an accident."

"No rape involved?"

She shakes her head again, "No, why?"

"Why don't you want to do the interrogation then?"

"I just… don't. Not after what happened last time. What's with all the questions, Mac?"

"I… I just left you with Danny this morning. I didn't even make sure it was a case that you could handle after what you went through last week."

Stella glares at him for suggesting that she was not ready to come back, "Mac, I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me so much."

"I know you were determined to come back today, and I'm sure you can handle it. But there are some cases that I would not put you on right after you experience last week. Like I wouldn't want you to have to investigate a rape immediately. I know you would do just a good of job as the others, but… it would bring memories up, even if you wouldn't admit it, Stella. I just want to protect you so you don't have to relive it over and over. It was horrible enough the first time through."

She sighs, knowing he is right. "Thanks for looking out for me, Mac."

"No problem." She leans her head back to look at the ceiling for a minute, wanting to think, and winces. "What's wrong?" he asks, concerned.

"My neck is sore. It's no big deal."

He gently places his hands on her shoulders and can feel her tension. Slowly he massages her neck and shoulders, "That better?"

"It's getting there," she closes her eyes and tries to relax as Mac continues.

Neither of them notices Sinclair walk into the room until he clears his throat. Stella's eyes immediately open, and Mac jumps away, taking his hands off of her. "Hello," the chief of detectives says slowly. "Taylor, the new wall for you office will be arriving later. I appreciate you cleaning up the mess before the FBI arrived last Thursday."

"Sorry, sir. But we got a lead on where he was taking Stella, and I had to follow it."

Sinclair continues, "The FBI was impressed by our lab, minus the broken glass in the hallway. And they admired your dedication to your partner." At the last few words, his gaze turns from Mac to Stella. "I hope that this dedication does not come between you during your work when you return full time."

"Stella is a vital member of our team; we all were dedicated to finding her. And I assure you that there is nothing between Detective Bonasera and I that will interfere with our work," Mac says calmly.

Sinclair looks back at Stella, "It is nice to see you alive, Detective. I hope that you recover from this illness quickly so that you can return to work. But I would prefer that no one else in this department becomes ill with mono." With one last look at Mac, he turns and walks out the door.

Once he is out of their sight, Mac and Stella look at each other. "I guess that was his way of saying that he does not approve of the two of us being together," Stella brushes a strand of curls out of her face.

"He wasn't crazy about Danny and Lindsay getting married. Or giving Danny my pay while he is in charge of the lab because the two of them are married. I'm sure he is not going to be fond of us if we start dating."

They reflect on this for a moment before she changes the subject. "So what was this new glass wall he was talking about?"

"I… punched the wall of my office when I found out that the two of you were pulled over. We were so close to catching you, but he shot the officer."

She reaches over and takes his right hand in hers, inspecting it for cuts. She finds two tiny ones on his fingers. "Were you pretending the wall was Stoneberg's head?"

He shrugs, "I was just frustrated and worried about you."

"You really need to learn to control your temper," she presses her lips to his hand.

"You're telling me that?" he teases her. He helps her up and leads her out the door of her office, their time at the lab being over for the day.

**A/N: I would like to thank those of you that still reviewed the story. I hope you continue to read the story and don't listen to what others have to say if you like the story. So... it seems I've lost a third of my audience... Oh, a friend asked me to tell you about this new site she created, . It's got a whole bunch of forums and you can start your own discussions and stuff. And it's not just about fanfiction but other fan-stuff. So I encourage you to check that out and maybe tell a few people about it if you like it. I guess that's all for now. Please keep reviewing; I really enjoy hearing your opinions.**


	19. Single Red Rose

**Chapter 19: Single Red Rose**

_And you never left me no messages_

_You never sent me no letters_

Mac looks around the lab before entering Stella's office. He is sure she wouldn't be there to see him since he had just dropped her off at a scene to help Hawkes and Lindsay out, but he didn't want others, such as Sinclair, to see him.

Finding no one, he proceeds, setting the vase of a dozen pink and white roses on her desk. He then sets his note on the desk beside the vase, laying a single red rose next to it. Content with his work, he heads to his own office and takes a seat behind his desk.

His normally organized and neat desk is covered with files, papers sticking out of them at odd angles. "Danny," he mutters to himself, setting to work on cleaning up his desk. A half hour later his desk is back to normal. Sighing, he leans back in his chair to take a break. His eyes fall on one of the pictures he has on his desk; this particular picture is one Lindsay had taken of him and Stella at the Christmas party last year.

Mac begins to reflect on his friendship with his partner. Exactly two months had passed since he had told her he loved her for the first time. He had told her that he would be patient and wait for her to be ready, but it was becoming hard for him not to show his love for her. Now that their lives were somewhat back to normal (they were working half days every day now, which took most of her energy), he is ready to move forward. However, he found himself unable to come out and ask her if she wanted to go out on a date with him. So… he had come up with a way to ask without actually having to work up the courage to ask. As much as he loves her, he is still worried about losing his friendship with her.

When he hears a knock on his door, he looks up from the picture. Danny and Flack are standing outside his door. He waves them in, "What can I help you with?"

"We wanted to run something by you before we ask for a warrant. I think it's enough, but he doesn't," Danny says.

"Okay, as long as you don't leave my desk with a mess on top of it."

"Sure thing, boss," Danny promises. "Sorry about that."

Flack laughs, "Speaking of desks, where'd those flowers on Stella's desk come from?"

"What flowers?" Mac tries to pretend that he doesn't know what they're talking about, but his red cheeks give him away.

"Come one, Mac. We all know you love her," Don says. "It's a little obvious."

"What do you mean?"

Danny and Flack look at each other, "Never mind."

Mac drops it for the moment and listens as they summarize their case so far. "I don't think the judge will go for it," he tells them. "Go back over the evidence. If you want, I can help you."

"Okay. I'll meet you in the layout room in fifteen minutes, Mac," Danny exits.

"Tell me you did not leave those flowers with a note in which you tell her that you love her, Mac," Don says.

"I didn't."

"Good. You should tell her in person. I'll get your back while you go in and get the flowers. Take her out to dinner, and you can tell her then."

"Don, I told her that I love her when we were together in the warehouse. She knows how I feel about her. I'm giving her the flowers with a note that asks if she wants to go out with me."

"And why can't you ask her in person?"

Mac sighs, "I told her I'd wait until she's ready. But I can't just come out and ask her. So… this way she is able to find a way to say she's not without just saying no because she doesn't know what else to say."

"Okay…"

"Just keep this quiet, Don. I don't need rumors to start. Sinclair wasn't happy when Danny and Lindsay got married, and he's made it clear that he does not want anything to happen between Stella and me."

"Sure, Mac. But you can't expect it to stay quiet forever," he tells his friend before noticing that Mac is focused on something behind him. He turns around and finds Stella and Lindsay headed to the locker room. "Well, good luck, Mac. I think you and Stella will be happy together."

After Flack leaves, Mac watches the locker room door until he sees the two women come out. Lindsay heads in the direction of her office while Stella heads towards hers, giving him a small smile as she passes by him.

She walks out of his view, and he takes in a deep breath, hoping she will agree to go out with him.

**A/N: Thanks for the many reviews last chapter; I felt better knowing that I didn't lose as much of my audience as I thought. So... hope you like the chapter. Or maybe you don't since he didn't ask her in person. But you'll get to see Stella's reaction in the next few chapters so stay tuned. What else... I'll probably update tomorrow... maybe. I don't know. **


	20. Taking Advice From a Friend

**Chapter 20: Taking Advice From a Friend**

_You got some kind of nerve_

_Taking all my world_

Stella enters her office and hangs up her jacket, planning to put on her lab coat in a few minutes to process the evidence brought in. She turns around, her gaze immediately falling on the vase of roses sitting on her desk. She frowns, not sure how they had gotten there. Slowly she approaches her desk and sees the single red rose lying off to the side on top of a piece of paper.

Her name is written on the outside of the single folded sheet of paper, the handwriting familiar. Opening it, she recognizes the writing as Mac's. After reading the single sentence, or rather question, that was on the paper, she smiles to herself and looks back down at the flowers. She didn't pause to think about what her answer would be.

As she stands there a moment longer, she begins to wonder why he hadn't just asked her instead of this… lovely gesture. Sure, she appreciated the flowers, but she didn't understand why he always had to pick the most complicated ways to ask her such simple things. And this time, she is definitely going to make him pay for it.

Lindsay sticks her head in Stella's office, "Danny is in the layout room so we'll be in… Where did those come from?"

"I… It doesn't say," she shrugs, not sure she wants to let Lindsay about her new relationship with Mac just yet.

"What does it say?" the younger woman looks over Stella's shoulder at the note. "That's funny… It kind of looks like Mac's handwriting. But that's impossible."

"Well, until I know who it is, I can't respond so… We should get back to work," she sets the note down on her desk and puts the red rose in the vase with the others.

"But this is so much more interesting," Lindsay says.

The curly haired detective laughs, "Although it is a mystery, I don't think Mac would be too happy if we spent our day investigating this over the case we were assigned."

"Are you going to accept it?"

"It depends on who it is."

"Come on, Stella. You have to have some idea of who it is from."

She hesitates, "Well… yes, I do. But… I can't talk about it yet. We… don't want anyone to know right now since… we're really not supposed to be together."

"It's Mac, isn't it?"

Stella doesn't comment.

"Well, you aren't denying it so I must have guessed it. Oh, I'm so happy for you guys; this is wonderful," Lindsay hugs her friend. "I can't believe Mac is breaking the rules."

"Yeah, and if Sinclair finds out, we're both dead."

"So how did it happen?"

"Lindsay… that's kind of… personal. But… he told me when he came to the warehouse to save me."

"Have you kissed yet?"

"Does it look like Mac has mono?"

"Oh… I forgot about that."

Stella slowly leads Lindsay out of her office, and they both enter the lab, putting on their lab coats. "Hawkes is probably wondering where we are."

"Wait, aren't you going to go accept his invitation?"

"No. He… should have just asked me instead of writing me a note. So he can just suffer and think that I'm not going to accept."

"Poor guy," Lindsay smiles.

From his office, Mac watches as they disappear from his line of vision again; she hadn't even given him so much as a glance. Sighing, he goes back to staring at his picture of her. Obviously she wasn't ready. Or maybe she didn't really love him in the way he loved her; maybe in the heat of the situation she had told him she did love him, but after having time to think about it, she realized she didn't have feelings for him.

Ten minutes later Danny knocks on his door, "Did you change your mind? It's been half an hour."

"Sorry, I was distracted and forgot about helping you," Mac looks up from the picture.

The younger man walks up to Mac's desk and grabs the picture frame that his boss had been staring at, turning it around so he could see what it was. "What'd she say?"

"Nothing. I know she went into her office, but she hasn't even looked at me. She's… probably trying to figure out how to let me down easily. I knew I should have kept my mouth shut and let her tell me when she was ready."

Danny sighs, not sure what to tell his boss; he had never pictured himself giving Mac advice on love before. "Did she keep the flowers?" Mac shrugs. "Take a walk by her office and see; if she did, she'll probably say yes. Maybe she's just trying to wait for a… more private time to tell you. If you really want to know, just go talk to her. If she says no, I'm sure she'll be willing to explain. And it doesn't mean no forever; I'm sure she's just not ready yet. And after what she went through, I don't blame her."

"I don't blame her either. But… what if she's changed her mind? Maybe she doesn't love me anymore."

"Stella… is not one to show emotions like that and not mean them. She wouldn't change her mind about something like this."

**A/N: So... I kind of forgot to update yesterday. Don't know why... So what will Stella tell him? You'll have to read the next chapter. I think it's pretty entertaining. Maybe Mac wouldn't think so but I'm sure Stella does. Well, I'm going to read some more Jurassic Park. It's a lot different from the movie. I won't be able to tell whether the second book is or not 'cause that movie was so dark. Please keep reviewing, and I'll probably update tomorrow.**


	21. Unnecessary Complications

**Chapter 21: Unnecessary Complications**

_Lost and insecure_

_You found me, you found me_

_Lying on the floor_

_Where were you? Where were you?_

Lindsay nudges Stella, "I think you have a visitor. And don't be too hard on him."

Stella looks up and finds Mac standing in the door of the trace lab. "Hi. Do you need something?"

"Yes. I'd… like to talk to you. In my office."

"Okay," she pulls her latex gloves off and follows him to his office. While he closes the blinds to give them privacy, she plops down in his chair.

"So… did you get my gift?"

She nods, "They're lovely, Mac. But you really didn't have to."

"And?"

"A note, Mac? You asked me to go out with you in a note? You didn't have the courage to ask me face-to-face if I wanted to go out with you?" she shakes her head at him. "You were a Marine, Mac; you fought for your country and faced… God knows what overseas. And now you're a detective with the NYPD; you have the courage to go out there to fight for justice knowing you might be killed. And you can't even ask me if I want to go out and have dinner with you?"

"Stella, I…" he tries to explain himself, but she immediately begins talking again after taking in another breath.

"You weren't even trying to tell me that you love me; all you had to do was ask if I wanted to go to dinner. How hard could it be? I mean, you had no problem telling me that you love me. Do I have to be kidnapped and… practically raped to get some emotion out of you? Because most guys wouldn't have a problem asking a girl out to dinner. And I would think it'd be a heck of a lot easier since I even told you that I love you too. You didn't even have to worry about being turned down because you already knew how I felt about you."

When she pauses to breathe again, he makes another attempt at explaining. "Stella, I couldn't ask you. I was afraid you weren't ready."

"Mac, you had nothing to lose. If I wasn't ready, I would've told you so. And when I was ready, we would have gone out on a date. It was that simple. You know, I'd think it be a lot easier the third time around. I'm sure you didn't tell Claire or Peyton how you felt before you asked them to go out with you."

"I didn't have as much to lose with them," he mumbles, not looking at her.

Stella turns in the chair to look out the window. "You might want to rethink your strategy before you go out on another date."

He waits for her to continue, but she remains silent. "Can I defend myself now, or would you like to interrupt again?"

"Fine. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"I didn't know how to approach you about it. I told you I'd wait, and I was afraid you'd think I… was just like the other guys if I asked you to go out. I thought you'd think I was pressuring you into this. So… I bought you flowers; I though women liked flowers. But I guess I should have just asked you about it because now you'll probably never go out with me," he sighs. "I… I just want you to be happy, Stella."

After a moment, she slowly turns his chair around and stands up. "I have to admit… that it was actually kind of romantic. And better than most of the other invitations I've had. And most of all… it was you."

"I'm sorry, Stella. Please don't give up on me because - Wait, what did you just say?" he asks, not believing his ears.

Brushing her curls out of her face, she walks over and stands directly in front of him. "I loved you, Mac. And I appreciate your concern, but… it's okay to express your emotions with words… out loud," she smiles.

"So… you aren't mad at me?"

"Of course not."

Mac thinks about this for a moment. "So… you were just pretending? You actually want to go out with me?" She nods, placing her hands on his shoulders. "If you weren't a girl, I would hit you for this. You are not very nice, Stella Bonasera. I thought you were really mad at me."

"Sorry," she kisses his cheek.

"I guess I can find it in my heart to forgive you…" he looks into her emerald eyes for a moment before leaning forward to kiss her.

She turns her head to the side, and his lips touch her temple. He pulls away, concerned that he was moving too fast for her. "I have mono, remember?"

"Hm… this might be a little more difficult than I thought."

"So… um, when exactly are you taking me out?"

"I was thinking tomorrow. We can… skip work that way you have enough energy to go out."

"Enough energy? Just what were you planning on doing tomorrow evening?" she teases.

"Dinner. And maybe a movie if there's something you want to see… I haven't really thought about it."

"You do know what this means, right?" Stella looks at him, a serious look on her face. "I have to go shopping and find something to wear tomorrow."

**A/N: Five more chapters to go. I really would like to get over 200 reviews for the story because I think it's one of my favorites that I've written, especially this chapter. So... I'd appreciate if you took the time to send me a review. I'll try to update again tomorrow, but we have band camp all day for the next two days. Fun... Well, I guess that's all. Please review. **


	22. Very Sure

**Chapter 22: Very Sure**

_Lost and insecure_

_You found me, you found me_

Stella bumps into him for the third time in three minutes; Mac turns over to see why she is so wiggly. "Stel?" he says softly.

Her eyes are shut tight, and she is tossing and turning next to him. "No… No…"

He gently shakes her shoulder to wake her up, "Stella?"

"No, leave me alone," she pushes him away.

Mac sighs, sure this is going to delay their date that evening. He walks around to her side and grabs her wrists to keep her from hitting him. "Stella, it's okay. Wake up."

She tugs, trying to free herself, "Let go of me."

"It's a dream, Stel. It's just me," he moves both of her wrists to one hand and touches her cheek with the other. "Wake up, Stella."

"Stop touching me, you sick bastard," she yells out.

He immediately lets her go, believing his trying to wake her is just making her dream worse. "Stella?" he calls, not sure how to wake her now.

She continues to toss and turn until she reaches the edge of the bed. Eventually she begins to fall, her eyes shooting open, and Mac is able to catch her, keeping her from hitting the ground. "Let go," she hits him in the chest, only able to see his silhouette in the darkness.

He sets her down on the ground gently before letting go, as she had asked. "It's okay, Stella. It's just me. Mac."

Still afraid, she pushes herself into a sitting position and scoots away from him, "Don't touch me." He leans over and turns on the lamp on the nightstand. Slowly Stella looks up at his face and sighs in relief when she sees that it is her partner. "Mac… I… I didn't mean to hit you. I just…"

"Hey, you don't have to explain," he holds a hand out to her.

She takes it and squeezes. "It was just a dream. He's dead," she says, more to herself than him.

"Why don't you get back in bed and I'll get you some water?" She nods and slowly gets to her feet. Mac makes sure she is seated before going to the kitchen.

"So… did I hurt you?" she asks when he walks back into the bedroom.

"No, I'm fine," he assures.

She takes a sip of water, "I haven't had that dream in a while."

"It's okay, Stel. It was only a couple months ago. No one expects you to be over it."

"It was… three years ago, Mac. Frankie was… the one in my dream."

"And I don't expect you to be normal after your boyfriend tried to kill you either."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Mac? I mean, I'll understand if you want to forget this whole thing and go back to friends."

He crouches down in front of her. "Stella, this is the most sure I've been about anything. Even marrying Claire." A tear escapes her eye, and he gently wipes it away. "Are you sure you're ready? We can wait if you want."

"No, I want to do this… to move on. Maybe… it'll help."

"Okay, Stella. Just… let me know if things are going too fast for you," he kisses her forehead before going around the bed to get in next to her.

They sit silently for a while before she has to break it. "So… what are we going to do about Sinclair? Because… we've gotten through all this finally. Now that we're actually going to date, are… we going to tell him or… just wait for him to figure it out?"

"I don't know, Stella. He's not going to like it if we tell him, and he's going to hate us if we go behind his back and don't tell him. Either way, he could fire one of us, or even both of us."

"Is there absolutely no way we can keep our relationship a total secret?"

"Um… I… Danny and Flack saw the flowers. They kind of guessed… so…"

"I… Lindsay guessed too. And I'm sure she told Hawkes what was up as soon as we walked out of the room."

"I think we can manage to be professional at work and keep it hidden from Sinclair as long as no one starts talking. But… if something were to happen to you, like with Stoneberg, I don't think I could manage to keep my feelings hidden; Sinclair would find out."

"Mac, why does this seem so complicated? I love you more than any other man I've ever dated, yet this relationship seems… doomed? I can't think of a better word right now."

"For now, let's just forget Sinclair. We'll figure something out eventually, even if it means one of us has to change departments."

Stella sighs before turning the light off and curling up next to Mac. "I love you."

"I love you too," he whispers, kissing her temple.

**A/N: So I think their date is the next chapter. And it's very... exciting? Let's just say that this whole keeping it a secret plan isn't going to last long. So after their date they have to... um, make a few changes. And then... happy ending? Anyway, I just finished the second Jurassic Park book. It wasn't much like the movie. But all I remember from the movie was the T-rexes attacking the trailer thing and then the T-rex in San Francisco or wherever it was. That definitely didn't happen. And I was very confused because the mathematician died in the end of the first book, but then he was in the second. After he died, I'm like... what's the second book about? I didn't think they'd make the movie that different from the book. Well... now I'm going to read Jekyll and Hyde. I read somewhere that CSI is having a new season long serial killer, and they nickname him Jekyll or something so I was like... maybe I should read the book. Please keep reviewing. Thanks.**


	23. We're Dead

**Chapter 23: We're Dead**

_Lying on the floor_

_Surrounded, surrounded_

Stella glances at Mac as she is getting ready, "This is a little awkward."

"What do you mean?" he looks over at her, concerned that she isn't ready for this yet.

"Normally you'd be coming to my apartment to pick me up, not watching me get ready. Can't you go wait somewhere for me?"

"Okay," he checks his watch. "I'll be back in twenty minutes to pick you up."

"Thanks, Mac," she kisses his cheek before he walks toward the door.

In the doorway, he pauses, "Would you prefer to go to your own apartment after this? I don't have a problem with letting you go home tonight if you want to; I think you can handle it now."

She hesitates, "I really don't know. Let's wait and see how tonight goes."

"Stel, I really don't know if it's such a good idea for us to… so soon."

"I… meant I'll wait and see if it's too awkward to come home with you later; I don't intend for us to do anything too soon."

He nods, "Okay. I'll be back to pick you up in a few minutes."

After he has left, she finishes dressing and putting her makeup on. As she is checking herself in the mirror, there is a knock on the door. Shaking her head at him, she goes to answer it.

Mac is standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hand. "You look wonderful, Stella," he smiles.

"Thanks," she takes the flowers from him. "Do you have a vase I can put them in?"

He enters and pulls a vase down from a cupboard in the kitchen. She adds water and arranges the flowers in the vase. "Ready?" he asks.

"Yeah," she lets him lead her out of the apartment and down the hall. "So where are we going?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

**You Found Me**

The waiter sets their salads in front of them, "I will be back shortly with your entrees."

"Thank you," Mac says, and the man walks away.

"This is a nice little place, Mac."

"Claire used to like coming here. In fact, we came here the night before she… passed away. I haven't been back since."

"I'm sorry, Mac. You didn't have to bring me here."

"I wanted to, Stella. I missed the food, and I knew you'd enjoy it," he places his hand over hers on the table. "Claire and I had talked about… what we'd do if one of us died, especially with my job. She said if anything ever happened to her, she wanted me to be happy, and if another woman made me happy, she said not to worry about her being angry."

"Mac… you really don't have to tell me all this; I'm sure Claire is glad you're moving on."

"She always liked you, at least after she realized that we were just friends and nothing more. She… appreciated that I had someone like you to look after me when I was working."

"You know… if just one thing had changed about that day, we probably wouldn't be sitting here right now," Stella whispers sadly.

"I know. And I don't know if I should be sad that she's gone or happy because now I get to spend the rest of my life with you."

She squeezes his hand, "Claire would want you to see the positive side. She was a great woman, Mac, and I'm sure she didn't want you to go through all the suffering her death caused you."

A few moments later, the waiter returns, replacing their empty salad plates with their meals. He pours more wine in each of their glasses. "Enjoy," he tells them before leaving them alone.

"So what do you want to do after this? We could rent a movie or go to the theater. Or take a walk in the park. Or… whatever you want to do," Mac tells her.

"Hm…" she pauses to think for a moment. "The walk in the park sounds nice. I don't know if I could stay awake to watch a movie."

Mac doesn't react, his gaze on something behind her and his fork halfway to his mouth.

"Mac?" she says. "Mac, what's wrong?" When he doesn't answer, she begins to turn around to see for herself.

"Don't move, Stella," he tells her, his gaze still fixed on something behind her. "It's Sinclair. He and his wife are here; they're waiting to be seated. We have to get out of here."

"Sinclair? What are we going to do, Mac?"

"Get under the table. They're coming this way."

"You hide under the table; I'm not going down there," she frowns at his suggestion.

"Maybe he won't notice us," he immediately turns his gaze down to his plate of food, refusing to look up. She follows suit, her heart beating rapidly as she hears them get closer to their table.

"Detective Taylor, nice to see you outside of work. And Detective Bonasera, you're looking so much better these days. How are you feeling?"

"Okay. It comes and goes."

"Well, I promised my wife an evening without interruption so I'd better go. I will see you both at work tomorrow," Sinclair smiles before turning away from their table.

As soon as he is out of earshot, she sighs, "We're dead."

**A/N: I just couldn't let them have happily ever after. Sorry for not updating sooner. I've been busy with band, and my friend asked me to knit her this sweater, which I just finished. Um... I'll try to post the next chapter tomorrow or Sunday. And I'm expecting to get lots of reviews for this chapter since you all said you couldn't wait for the date. **


	24. XX and XY

**Chapter 24: XX and XY**

_Why'd you have to wait?_

_Where were you? Where were you?_

Mac climbs into his truck beside her, "What do you want to do now?"

Stella, who had been unusually quiet the rest of the evening, says, "Let's just go home."

"My place or yours?"

She looks over at him, "What difference does it make? After we get fired tomorrow, we're not going to have apartments anyway."

He decides to take her home with him. The half-hour drive is made in silence, and as he parks the car, he takes her hand. "I'm not going to let him fire you, Stella. He can do whatever he wants to me, but I won't let him fire you too. You can have my supervisor position."

"I don't want it, Mac. Not if it means you have to leave the lab. Besides, I think it'd be easier for me to find a job; my old boss from narcotics is constantly trying to get me to come back. I can see if they have an opening."

"Stella, you shouldn't have to go through this. And you going back to narcotics will only make me worry about you more; their job is a lot more dangerous than ours."

"Actually, Mac, I think I've been in more dangerous situations as a CSI. When I worked narcotics, I was never kidnapped and almost raped."

"No. You're not leaving, Stella."

"Why not?"

He refuses to look at her. "Because I don't trust anyone else to keep you safe. I need to have you next to me, to know that you're safe."

His words make her eyes tear up, and she doesn't have the heart to tell him that if he leaves, he will still not be able to do this.

Silently they sit together in the car for ten minutes before simultaneously deciding to get out. As they walk into the building, he rests his hand on her back. In the elevator, she dares the break the silence. "For what it's worth, I had a great time with you tonight… until Sinclair showed up."

"Me too."

"We'll find a way to stay together," she whispers.

He shakes his head, "I… I can't think of any way that Sinclair would not fire at least one of us."

"Can't we just go back to being friends?"

"It's not going to do us any good in trying to keep our jobs."

"Is there no way we can play it off as two colleagues and friends going to together for a nice dinner?"

"He won't go for it."

"Why not? There isn't any evidence that we've done anything together other than go out for dinner. And… we haven't done anything. I mean, you obviously do not have mono so that's proof we haven't kissed. And… well, if we haven't kissed, why would we have gone past that stage?"

Mac unlocks his apartment door and lets her inside. "You have a point. He doesn't have any evidence against us. And he is more than welcome to send a team here to search for evidence, but there is no proof that we've slept together."

"And what if he accepts this story because he doesn't have proof? What happens to us then?"

He turns to face her and shrugs, "We go back to being just friends until one of us finds another job."

She shakes her head, "If Danny and Lindsay can get married, why can't we?"

"I'm your boss, Stella; they'd say I treat you better than the others. And… you were in the interrogation room with Stoneberg. Just think of what would be said if we came in and both introduced ourselves as Detective Taylor."

"We… don't have to get married."

"Stella, no matter what, Sinclair will never let us date, whether we intend to get married or not."

She lets out a deep sigh and leans against the wall, closing her eyes. "This sucks."

Mac pinches the bridge of his nose, trying to come up with a solution to their problem. "Do you remember Quinn?"

"From New Jersey? What about her?"

"You know she applied for the New York CSI supervisor position too? What if… I contacted her to see if there is any way we could switch positions… or cities rather?"

"She'd like it better if she was working with you."

He looks up at her, "You noticed it?"

Stella nods, "She definitely has a crush on you."

"She… kissed me once. But I was married."

"And she didn't try anything when she was here last year?"

"I told her I wasn't interested. You have nothing to be jealous about," he smiles at her for the first time that evening since Sinclair had shown up. "Besides, you'd be the one working with her. And New Jersey isn't that far away; we could find somewhere in between the two labs to live."

"Mac, we have yet to kiss, and you're talking about living together."

"Stella, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. We're going to find some way to make this work."

"I love you too," she kisses his cheek. "Now… why don't you call Quinn?"

**A/N: Okay, two more chapters to go. I really want to get over two hundred reviews so if you could help me out I'd appreciate it. I was kind of disappointed because the date finally happened, which you were all so excited for, but few of you reviewed. And thanks to those that did. So I will post the next chapter tomorrow evening if I get five reviews for this chapter. By the way, I have no idea where the chapter title came from. I don't remember what I was thinking at the time. Please keep reviewing; it's almost over.**


	25. Your New Supervisor

**Chapter 25: Your New Supervisor**

_Just a little late_

_You found me, you found me_

"How'd your date go last night?" Lindsay asks, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"Taylor, Bonasera, my office. Now!" Sinclair yells.

"Great… until Sinclair and his wife showed up at the restaurant we were at," Stella follows Mac out of the break room. "You're sure about this, right? It's going to work?"

"We've done what we can, Stella. Hopefully it's enough."

Silently they take the elevator up a floor and enter his office, taking the two seats in front of his desk. "Detectives, I am sure you know why you are here," Sinclair begins.

Mac looks at his partner, "Actually, can you clarify that for us?"

"I saw the two of you together last night. It was a pretty nice restaurant to take someone who is just a friend."

"So? That doesn't mean it isn't possible. How do you know the other people there were not just friends?"

"I don't know for sure. But I'm sure you noticed that there was not one table that did not have an equal number of men and women. Why would that be?"

"Stella and I are not doing anything wrong, sir," Mac states.

"Mac, if you read through our rules, you will find that it is clearly stated that the department frowns upon relationships between coworkers."

"Frowns upon? That doesn't say that they're forbidden," Stella points out.

"If you continue reading," Sinclair looks at her, "it says that relationships with employees are not allowed. Detective Bonasera is technically your employee since she works under you, and therefore you cannot have a relationship of the romantic nature with her."

"Stella and I have the same ranking."

"But she is not in charge of the lab."

"Then we will share the position and split the extra pay that I get."

"Mac, when you started the relationship, she was underneath you. It can't be done," Sinclair informs them.

"Actually, Danny has been in charge since we're still working half-days."

The chief of detectives sighs, "Look, Detective Taylor is still the boss. There is no way the two of you can get away with a relationship. Now, if the two of you agree to stop seeing each other, I will let it slide this time, and you can go on with your lives. But if you insist on having a romantic relationship, I will be forced to fire one of you."

"Exactly what proof do you have that the relationship I have with Stella is romantic?" Mac asks.

"At this point… I really don't have any solid evidence. But it is obviously headed that direction. I'm doing this for your own good. The lab is currently at its best, and I don't want the two of you to mess that up. The moment he gets mono or I find the two of you kissing or… anything else that is a gesture between lovers, you are fired, Detective Bonasera. I suggest that the two of you end this relationship or one of you changes departments or jobs."

Mac and Stella look at each other before standing. "We are not going to end this relationship. We will be back to see you soon with our decision."

"Now what?" Stella asks as the elevator doors close.

"Can you handle a new boss?"

She shakes her head, "I don't want you to go anywhere. But… for us, I guess I could learn to deal with it."

"You're willing to give it a shot?"

"Are you sure there's no other way? I'd be happy to go back to narcotics, Mac."

"You are not going anywhere, Stella. I'm the one that wanted to go out with you; I'll make the changes necessary so that we can be together."

"Mac, I -"

"Maybe we should consult the team and see what they think about a new boss," he suggests since the two of them clearly were not getting anywhere in their argument.

"Fine."

As soon as they have gathered everyone in the break room, Mac's phone rings. "Taylor." Five minutes later he hangs up and motions for Stella to come over by him. "Quinn got another job offer to work as an inspector full-time; she said she was going to take it so she could travel all over the country. She said she'd put in a recommendation for me at the Jersey lab if I wanted. That would leave our lab without a supervisor."

"We'll probably end up with some jerk," she rolls her eyes.

"You're next in line, Stel. I think it'd be easier for them to promote you and hire a new CSI than hiring someone else to come in as supervisor."

She looks around the room. "Should we ask them before going back to see Sinclair?"

He nods, and they step back in front of their coworkers. "As most of you know, Stella and I have started dating. And as you also know, we are not allowed to do so because I am her boss. So… we may have come up with a solution, and we'd like to get your opinions before approaching Sinclair about it."

**A/N: One chapter left. I probably will not post it until Thursday or maybe Friday. But that doesn't mean you can't review. I think I need only five more to get two hundred, which is my goal. So... please hit the button and do so. Or I could go re-write the ending and kill one of them... no, I won't do that. Actually, I don't really have much else written. Anyway... please review and I'll give you the final chapter as soon as I can.**


	26. Zealousness

**Chapter 26: Zealousness**

_Why'd you have to wait?_

_To find me, to find me_

Mac knocks on her apartment door and patiently waits for her to open it. "Stella, you look beautiful," he smiles and leans in to kiss her on the cheek.

She blushes, "Thanks. Just let me find some shoes."

He steps inside, closing the door behind him, and follows her into her bedroom. "So how was your day?"

"Busy. We spent all day out processing the scene while Hawkes and Lindsay stayed in the lab so they could start analyzing the evidence. It's only been three days, and I'm already way behind on paperwork; you know, I always thought you were lying when you said you had paperwork to do."

He laughs, "The job is harder than it looks."

"So how is New Jersey?"

"Okay, not too different from our lab… or your lab, I should say. We're not quite as busy."

"Do you like it?"

He hesitates, "Well, I like New York better. But if this is how it has to be so that we can stay together, I can live with the change of scenery."

"I… thanks for doing this for us, Mac."

"It's not a problem, Stel."

She suddenly hugs him, leaning her head against his shoulder. "It's just not the same without you there," she whispers.

"You'll get used to it. And maybe it's best that we're not together all the time."

"What if something happens to you? I won't know until it's too late. Or what if something happens to me? If I'm going to die, I want to be able to say goodbye to you first."

"Nothing is going to happen to either of us. We both have good teams that will look out for us. Let's not worry about that right now."

"Okay," she kisses the corner of his mouth before pulling away. "I guess I'm ready."

Mac catches her hand as they walk toward the door, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. I've worked all day the past three days, and I'm not tired."

"All day? Stella, you shouldn't be doing that."

"I meant I've worked the full shift; the guys practically kicked me out after my eight hours were done. But I could've kept going for a few more hours."

"Just don't overdo it, Stella."

"Like you should be talking," she smirks at him as he closes the door behind them.

**You Found Me**

As they walk, Mac wraps his arm around her waist, and she leans against him. She tries to stifle a yawn, but he sees her. "I should take you home, Stella. You're tired."

"No, I'm fine. I… I don't want to leave you yet. I miss seeing you all the time."

"Me too, Stel," he says, and the two of them stop walking, a small pond before them in the park.

"You know… you could stay with me tonight. If it isn't too far for you to drive in the morning."

"Or you could come to my place if you wanted," he offers, glancing at her. "But… I don't know how you're going to get to work in the morning.

"I have the evening shift tomorrow," she leans her head against his shoulder. "So… I guess we're going to your place."

Mac pulls her into a hug, "We don't have to do this, Stella."

"I want to stay with you, Mac."

"We don't have to do anything we're not ready to. I don't want to pressure you into things."

She presses her finger to his lips in order to get him to stop talking. "Let's just wait and see where this takes us. We can always stop things if they don't feel right."

As he stares into her emerald eyes, he finds that he desperately wants to feel her lips against his. His hands slowly slide from her back to her hips; her hands rest on his shoulders. Timidly they both lean forward until their lips meet. They stay together for just a second before pulling away, resting their foreheads against each other.

They both remain still, their eyes closed, until Mac shifts slightly so that they're kissing again. This kiss is the opposite of the last, long and full of passion. Her hands become tangled in his hair as his explore her body. Finally they separate, the need for oxygen too great. She rests her head on his shoulder, and his cheek rests on her head.

"My place?" he whispers, making sure she is comfortable with the idea. He feels her nod against his shoulder. They stay together for a few more moments before he leads her through the park back to his truck.

The drive to his apartment seems to take hours. Their hands remain connected through the elevator ride up to his apartment. He closes the door to his apartment and turns around to ask her if she'd like something to drink, only to find that she has disappeared. "Stella?" he calls out, wondering where she had gone to.

Mac finds her seated on the couch and cautiously joins her, "Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just thinking." His eyes meet hers, and he tries to tell her that he is willing to listen if she wants to share her thoughts. "I would've thought this would be a lot harder since I haven't been with anyone since Frankie. Unless you include Stoneberg, but… he didn't get too far."

"Isn't it a good thing that it isn't hard for you?"

She nods, "I just… wasn't expecting it. I thought it'd take us months to get to this point."

"It's been three months, Stella."

"But this is only our second date, Mac. I wouldn't even consider kissing you if you were any other man."

"Then we'll wait until you feel that it's been long enough for us to move forward in our relationship."

"But that's the thing, Mac. It just feels so natural with you."

"All this talk is really killing the mood, Stella," he lightly teases her.

She shakes her head at him, a small smirk on her face. "I just don't know what to do," she says before standing and making her way over to his window.

A few minutes later he joins her, two glasses of wine in his hands. He offers her one, which she accepts, and wraps his free arm around her waist. "Maybe for tonight we should both turn our brains off and listen to our hearts."

Slowly she takes a sip of the wine and sets it on the table beside her, "I think you're right, Mac."

He places his glass on the table next to hers and pulls her into his arms, "I'm always right, Stella."

She playfully punches him in the arm, "In your dreams."

Mac presses his lips to hers and spins her around so her back is against the wall. "I love you, Stella," he whispers between kisses.

She pulls back, resting her forehead against his, "I love you too, Mac." Once she has taken a few moments to breathe, she kisses him again, her fingers attempting to undo the buttons of his shirt. His shirt is soon open, and she takes the opportunity to feel the muscles of his chest. Suddenly she feels herself being lifted up, and she wraps her arms tightly around his neck to keep from falling.

He gently sets her down on his bed, and despite her protests, he breaks the bond between their lips. "Are you sure?" he asks. "This is going to change things between us forever."

Stella leans up to kiss him again, "Yes."

**A/N: Now that we've gone through the alphabet, the story is finished. Sadly. I hope you liked it. I'm sorry they couldn't work together; I seriously could not think of a way for them to get past Sinclair so I had to split the team up. Hopefully that part never comes true on the show. Or Stella being kidnapped by some rapist. Anyway... I only have one other story written as of right now, and it's only a chapter long. It's called She Is, and it's just cute little story, no violence involved. It takes place after Right Next Door. I'll probably post it sometime next week. And then I'm like five chapters into another story. I don't know how long it's going to end up but I have to finish reading Dracula first. So... please review and give me your final thoughts on the story. I'd like to thank all of you that read this story and especially those that took the time to review it. **


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